Warmth
by Paarzival
Summary: Many years have passed since the time of the Mane 6 and while Equestria is finally at peace the ponies of the land know that somepony with great powers or a complete and total stranger could change everything. Now an unlikely team, lead by a unicorn called Hearth Soul Fire must work together to save the land and Equestria's future
1. Warmth, a Prologue

_Ch.1 My first Words_

_Hello Dear Reader of this Journal, for I deemed the word diary or recording to not match the meaning of my hardships and plights. Along with my dear friends and newfound family, I have helped my land and my people through the darkness that has veiled it since the beginning. For tomorrow I meet my fate. But now I shall regail my adventures on this flimsy pathetic excuse of material. I am called Hearth Fire, and to know me and my will be future, you must know how I came to be who I am now..._


	2. A Insight Into FoalHood

**Authors Note to Readers:**

**Did I mention this was my first official story I have written EVER?! Of course not it's only chapter 2! And do not worry readers! I will NEVER leave my story unfinished like ALOT of annoyingly good stories I've read that have stopped :/ so if you want to help me out and PM me go right ahead! For all critisizms or compliments will be e accepted with (relative) grace!**

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I was a pony at the orphanage where I spent my days laughing playing and observing.

Although as the Maid Soft Eyes said watching me while I was running around upon my arrival to the orphanage,"I had a flame in my soul."

Thus the heritage name of the unidentified orphan with no recollection of his family due to youth, Soul Hearth Fire, though I enjoyed the sound of just "Hearth Fire."

She was the closest thing I could call mother, kind, gentle, funny, my friends and I simply admired her! She had a green coat with a bright yellow mane and deep brown eyes that were as deep as the old well I used to throw stones into when I was upset.

I recall being almost happy and content in my youth except for the nagging of my mental thoughts of knowing I was abandoned in the streets of Maneida.

The orphanage was fairly large due to dormitories, the kitchens, and the playground. Dull brown coated exterior, various windows that were clouded in the freezing winters by frost, along with tan roofing tiles.

The other ponies were fun as well! I was "Friends" with everpony except for the occasional flank hole that arrived. But enough of that main point, I grew up without social conflicts. This unfortunantly inflated my ego quite a bit.

But I was friends with 3 ponies in particular.

Gusty Breeze was the collected, intelligent one despite his name. He was a pegasus with a pale blue mane and coat, but his eyes were a dark shade yellow. If he was flying in the sky he was practically invisible and dear Celestia he was fast! No Cutie Mark.

Then there was Cotton Wood the Earth Pony. The ecomaniac who refused to eat anything but herbs, guess his color. Ehhh stupid stereotypes he was bulky and had a neon coat paired with a maroon mane and bright brown eyes. Plus, he was the only one out of our group that had a cutie mark, a small flower locus on a Cotton Wood tree.

Then finally every group has at least one girl right? Silky Sensations, another Unicorn who was the complete opposite of me. While I was making jokes about how funky the upper classes hats were during ones occasional stroll, she scolded me for my judgmental synicallities. When she told us about the economy, I was talking about how the hay negative numbers in our Algebra courses at the orphanage would help us later on in our lives. She was simply adorkable with her books and She had a sleek purple coat with a dark blue/light green multicolored mane with beautiful teal eyes. Again, no cutie mark.

I secretly was a nerd of sorts but I preferred the term sentimentally adept along with my particularlly intelligent noggin. But pretended not to be so I wouldn't get ripped on by the others.

Before I forget myself let me tell you I was a Unicorn with a bright red coat along with a sunny orange mane as well as bright red eyes. I jumped everywhere I went and my peer ponies said I never stopped smiling no matter the scenario or situation and made the them laugh no matter how depressed or unhappy they were. No cutie mark, painfully obvious too.

Those days are so hard to recall now that I ponder them...


	3. A Regular Lunch Hour

**Authors Note to Reader: Sorry if i'm taking forever with lead up, this chapter? Get this, they actually TALK!**

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"There is NO way in Tartarus that you're going to get this pony to swallow, well whatever that is!"

"Hearth come on buddy, you're telling me that you want to keep eating JUST brownies and lollipops and other stuff of sorts that will make you as large as, Spoon Bowl?"

I snickered at this last, rather quiet reference to this pony at the orphanage who basically lived and survived in the deserts hall 24/7.

Ok I'm not usually laughing at this kind of humor, in fact I'm not even sure Cotton Wood even realizes he said something funny at all.

Another futile attempt to make me eat his tree poo as I called it, whatever it was it was brown. I don't really know how else to describe it, and knowing him, it was some sort of herb. (I still to this day do not know where he got this stuff! There was a joke that it was his OWN waste but I will not go into detail with that certain subject.)

With an exasperated sigh he contributed his POSSIBLY horror stories about health conditions,"Ugh Hearth! Do you take ANYTHING seriously at all?! You could get prancer! Or even have a hearse attack!"

Ha! I totally knew that he would regail me with his health essay script. As you can tell, he does this, ALOT, in fact I don't think I've gone a minute without him lecturing me.

I turned to him with a dramatically shocked face,"Alright, you've opened my eyes, I-I'm so sorry! How could I be so foolish with my sweets! Please take them from me! Here you go!" I then promptly shoved a sugar apple into his muzzle and laughed at how his eyes inflated to the size of a large pizza. He spat the heavenly morsle out and gave me the cold eye.

But when I started giggling trying to contain my laughter, soon erupted into laughing fits. Which he surprisingly joined in on after watching me for a few seconds.

"We're surrounded by idiots Gale, just surrounded by them." Silky said to Gale with a smirk on her face from our little fit. Gale giggled to himself then said,"Well I rather think they make lunch in this drab hall much more fascinating." He scoffed while looking around the dining hall.

I didn't mind fashion or style as much apparently because the dining hall had a high ceiling with bleachers the quiet ponies usually ate on in completely boring scilence. There were 4 small tables with 8 chairs besides the bleachers. We were the 2nd table away from the entrance at the far end of the room with the kitchen next to the entrance/exit doors so the lazy lunch ponies wouldn't have to actually move that much to get us food. That's at least how I looked at the arrangement of the kitchens.

The orphanage was adequate for its sole purpose, and I was fine with that.

Jocks behind us, who were pumped to go to recess as always.

Our table as I liked to call us, the personalities who joked and were actually open minded about subjects.

Then there were the Techies, must I explain more?

As I said before the quiet people nervously glancing around unable to interact socially because of their shyness. I didn't understand them in the slightest. Why be quiet when you can yell?

Then finally the other group of personalities, our tables rivals.

I loathed them completely for their tasteless humor, and cruel jokes about mares flanks, sure they're nice to look at but i knew the saying,"look no touch" since kindergarten for Celestia's sake I was keeping that internal promise. Yes I liked mares until you think otherwise, I just had the Celestia-damn respect for mares. I wasn't too sure about Gale though, he liked to talk to Silky more than any of us, even ME! I think either he has a crush on her, or some stallion.

"Hey Lame Flame, Tree Hugger, Fail Gale, and hi Silky!"

I sighed and turned around in my seat and saw exactly who I expected to see. Linen Cloth and his two sidekicks Hail Storm and Sunny Day.

Linen Cloth was an Earth pony with pale yellow eyes and a extremely tan coat with a multicolored blue and white mane, no cutie mark.

Hailstorm, a unicorn with a icy blue coat and a red mane. What I remember most about Hailstorm were his eyes, they weren't like normal ponies, they were brown blocks! No cutie mark.

And his other goon, Skinny. That was all, his name was just skinny, I did not know why but I was often curious of how Mother Soft named him as a foal. He was a pegasus with lime green eyes, as well as having a lime green coat with a pure white mane. No cutie mark.

I simply smiled at the three flank holes who seemed to take an instant disliking to me upon my arrival."Hellooooo Linen and his excuse for friends, taking a liking to Silky as usual aren't ya? Why don't you get it dude, she's just not interested in an idiot like you."

"At least I have the Colthood to not look like a colt loving freak."

"Oh really? I couldn't tell with all the rejection you receive while your in your marehood heat phase."

"Listen you little hay sucker, you're a little pain in the flank to EVERYONE and probably doesn't even look at the Filly flanks just the Colt flanks!"

Getting perturbed by the snickering of his dolt friends I smiled, "Well son I know what your mothers flank looks like and I can honestly say she was niiicccce and I won't be taking you because of all your bratty behavior."

Pulling out the "Yo Mama" jokes? I think I just DID.

"Why you little shi-!"

"GUYS!" Silky interrupted.

I snapped out of my anger phase and realized my muzzle was inches away from his.

Also seeing this, Linen took the opportunity to promptly huff and trot back to his friends as both sides glared at the opposing team.

"Thank you" Silky whispered into my ear.

Glancing back at her I smiled and nodded.

She looked pleased then looked over my shoulder and gasped.

"Wha-" But I was caught at the end of the sentence by a hoof smashing into my face as I turned around.

"HA! Really Hearth?! Moving in on my lady I see, I'll teach you!"

Quickly getting up I jeered,"You call that a punch? I bet that old lunch pony over there throws her hooves harder that that!"

Getting on his rear hooves, Linen put his hooves up and slowly advanced on me while striking a pose like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Ponies.

Not wanting to be a mimic, I charged on all fours and bashed my skull forcefully into his stomach catching him off guard and winding him, sprawling me on top of him. Rolling off I threw a Rear Hoofed kick directly into his skull as he was crawling towards me. Sending him backwards into the nearby table.

I took the opportunity to get back on all fours and froze when I looked at my hooves. They were slightly tinted red.

Bringing my gaze down, I breathed a sigh of relief as i saw my opponent. He only had a large bruise on his face and a bloody muzzle. While I only had a slight black eye from his punch that was rapidly swelling.

Then watching him start to squirm heard little weeping sound and realized with shock. He was crying. I couldn't believe it watching my prideful rival openly crying from the pain I inflicted.

I didn't use magic, was my first thought and this puzzled me.

Unicorns weren't supposed to be melee fighters I out matched a EARTH PONY at a contest of brawn. Quickly dismissing these thoughts all I could do was stare guiltily as he sobbed from pain.

Looking around, I saw the open muzzles of the ponies that had silently circled us during the fight. Obviously we had caused a spectacle cause some where laughing, some were just dumbfounded, and some were jeering.

I felt weird. I felt like a wild animal who just ate the same species.

I heard some pony directly behind me clear her throat. Twirling around I felt my stomach drop at the sight of Momma Soft Eyes.

"..."

Silence reigned in the hall at the sight of an angry Momma. This terrified me because in the 10 years I'd been in the orphanage I couldn't remember her looking this mad since the time I put my grass-shake with bugs into her listerine bottle without her noticing.

Standing next to her was a married couple with their muzzles hanging open at my display."I-I-never mind I think we will take this one..." He said pointing his hoof at Silky.

With a confused expression on both Silky and my muzzles, while Linen simply stopped sobbing and looked up with a tear stained face, Mother said in a very infuriated tone, almost growling,"LINEN, SILKY, AND HEARTH! IN MY ROOM, NOW." Mother said with finality.

Picking Linen up onto her back Mother, Linen, Silky, and I set off for her room in the dormitory, or as we called it the office Due to no real authority in the orphanage.

Looking back hungrily with my only regret being I hadn't finished my brownie and that one of the other ponies would steal and eat the delectable sweet I prized.

If I knew the shock and sadness that followed I would have given up brownies for life.


	4. Parting Ways

Mother Soft with Linen on her back and the married couple were chatting ahead of us while I was slouched and sweating bullets. But again, Silky was the complete opposite, she was standing straight and composed with a curious look on her face.

I couldn't blame her, she had nothing to do with this so why was she coming to the office?

"You okay? You look terrified." Silky said with concerned teal eyes.

"Yeah I'm just so anxious to know what her office looks like." I responded while rolling my eyes in her direction."

"... I know I said it before, but thank you for sticking up for me, he really is annoying when he's like that."

I stopped and got on my rear legs and pranced around in ninja poses with her looking confused at my little act.

"Sorry, I expected more stallions to come and try to behead me, but cause of these babies," I gave an example by flexing my (surprisingly large) biceps,"I'll be just fine though DON'T you worry!"

"Haha... whatever you say Hulk Manegan."

I put on a look of surprise,"Did Silky Sensations just make a joke? Maybe I am actually rubbing off on your attitude." I said with a large smirk on my muzzle.

She paused and looked into my Fiery Eyes for what seemed like forever than in a quiet whisper that was strangely melodious in my ear like an angel from above a with those beautiful smoothe Teal eyes,"You wish!"

Laughing at my face,(Thank Celestia my Fur coat was red!) She was back to normal and asked,"I wonder why she wants me along unless, oh Twilight what if she knows I started this!"

"Aww come on Silk you didn't start this, he threw the first swing remember?"

"Yes but that was only because he thought you were putting the moves on me and that I was returning them!"

"Uhhh you'd know if I was putting on the moves Silky..." I said trying to levity the situation,"If I was you'd be mine already!" Giving a chuckle at the end for effect.

She was still laughing when an invisible Mother Soft appeared besides us and stated coldly to me,"Glad you're loving your situation, Heart sonny." Then apparently having a major attitude change towards Silky,"I'm sure they'll just love you Silk Dear."

Giving her a warm smile. And me a smile that didn't exactly meet her eyes, she promptly trotted up to the couple.

I know Mother still loved me like a son but she was just angry and frankly, I had no idea how to become right in her eyes again. But that wasn't what I was focusing on in that short conversation.

"T-They'll love me? What is that supposed to mean?!" Silky said in an exasperated tone.

Then the lights came on in my head and then my mind went blank trying to find another logical reason for saying this but none came to mind, the only reason would be that-

"Ah here we are children! Mr. And Mrs. TailFeathers, you can wait in the hallway and talk to your two new interested adoptionees!" She then turned to me and whispered into my ear,"Hearth, you will come into my office first. Is that Ok with you?"

I could only nod like a dumbstruck idiot, in fact I bet I looked just like one as I was led into the office feeling nautious and what felt like the beginning of a massive mane-grain.

Silk was being adopted with, HIM... Silk and Linen, hehe at the very least their names were very similar on those grounds.

But I couldn't believe it, we did not speak to each other as much as I talked to Cotton or a few other individuals I deemed time worthy, but I felt awful.

She made me think more, and was secretly my idol. So adorkable but yet somehow interesting and our intelligent conversations made me think more.

"Such opposites, but I will dearly miss her... It won't be the same here." I muttered to myself.

You know when your mind clicks and your forced back into reality? Well click click to Hearth Fire because I all too suddenly realized I was sitting in the office staring at Mother while she was rambling about the consequences and couldn't help but wonder how I ignored her so easily while I was deep in thought.

"-hat do you think you were doing?! Hearth this is serious! This affects the outlook of the orphanage here! When word spreads, well, uhh I don't know how it will affect this place, but it will! The orphaned children might not want to live here now because of the big mean colts! Those parents out there WILL gossip, who doesn't in these times. But you know what's ironic? They were considering adopting YOU and Linen until they saw you beat the snot out of that poor little colt!"

Hmm okay maybe it's good this is happening, I won't have to live with him.

"So, they changed their minds and adopted Dear Silky!"

...

Mind?

...

Blank huh? This is your fault! I can't believe this I can't protect her anymore! He's not going to love her like you could've! Oh Celestia what have I done...

"I can tell this is rubbing off on you well enough, this is your first problem you've caused... Physically, and I can prove it unlike other situations I couldn't prove that it was you," She chuckled darkly."That is all go finish you're lunch and recess."

But before i got up out of my seat she obviously needed to say one more thing,"Hearth, watch yourself I understand you were angry but, I'm concerned a healthy, good hearted, handsome colt like yourself will not get adopted and that troubles me greatly, so please... Try? For you're dear old mother?"

Finally looking up at her smiling face and her compliments. I felt lighter now that I knew I still held her admiration.

"Thanks Soft Eyes, and again I'm sorry for this incident and if I could change it, I would."

"I know you would honey," A bell echoed in the hallway,"Well that's the recess bell have a nice day!"

I slowly stepped off of the chair and bade my final goodbye to mother. I left the office holding the door for two scared parents of the monster in the doorway.

Linen then came in and stared at me, then breathing under his breathe to me whispered as he walked by me,"Checkmate flankhole."

He knew.

Then Silky, but she looked different now she looked scared and anxious with tears in her eyes while looking me in the eyes, Teal on Red. I walked up to her and hugged her as tightly as I could with my front hooves, which she returned with just the ferocity.

I felt something wierd on my shoulder, and slowly looking over saw she was crying into my shoulder.

She smelled so nice, like Tuilips, my favorite flower that every Spring grew in the orphanage yard next to the merry go round. And memory's of us talking on the ride, she loved classical music, her favorite singer was Hay Bail, he sang old country songs and her favorite food was a daisy pizza with slices of tomatoes.

The way her laugh was like silver bells in the wind. How she was always spending her time being herself. And probably my favorite, the way he felt so amazing when she looked into his eyes and made him feel stronger and greater than just another abandoned Colt in an orphanage for the unloved and unwanted.

Then, I started to cry into her mane as the feelings in my chest became unbearable.

Surprise in her eyes was evident as she looked up at the colt who was shedding tears for her.

Obviously seeing the need to comfort me quietly said,

"*sniff* It's Ok Hearth, really I'm just the geek, remember your nickname for *sniff* me? Seeky? Geeky Silky? I thought it was rather clever. You'll survive and can you tell the others in *sniff* my place? We leave after the conference..."

Her head was now downcast at the ground and before I could lose my nerve, kissed her on the cheek.

"O-O-Of course Seeky, *sniff* and never stop laughing alright?"

Not wanting to see her reaction to my first public display of affection, I quickly galloped down the hall way leading to the doors of the school yard.

Taking a deep breath before going outside, to calm myself down, I pushed open the double doors and stepped into the afternoon sun knowing there was now a empty seat on the merry go round.


	5. Taking A Stroll In The Woods

**HELLO Dear Readers! Thank you so much for actually having the interest to pursue to Chapter 5 it warms my heart, truly I have not been on here long but already know that everyone who is reading my first story is incredibly awesome! So again, thanks to you for your inspiration. Alright, enough mushiness back to business! On with the story! Done with recollections for the moment.**

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"UUGGGHHH MY BACK!"

Note to Self: get a bucking pillow and a sleeping bag filling matress at the next town I arrive in, the sleeping bag is completely un-cooshy.

Stretching my legs I recalled the vision of saying goodbye to Silky all those years ago, Tartarus I miss our little group of personalities.

More of those dreams of my childhood, just little clips and shows in my mind, I tried to reassure myself. But these didn't feel like just simply dreams... Were they trying to tell me something?

"Mind your crazy, they're just dreams! Now focus on task at hand, I'm hungry as a bear, maybe I could eat one? Haha oh you weirdo you Hearth bears eat you! Not Vice Versa!"

Call me crazy all you want, I talk to myself quite often, so get over it. Sometimes I need an experts advice and that's what I am in the business of traveling.

I currently had a few loaves of bread and some daisies I had been able to buy from the last town I was in. Trottingham I think it was, everything was green good lord Celestia the houses, grass, it seemed that Spring was eternal in their land. Nice ponies, although sort-of reclusive, but I like to talk to the recluses, they often have the most stories to tell. If they were willing to talk at all of course. And then finally my trusty rusty water bottle I had received as a gift from the new caretaker at the orphanage. Filled to the brim from last night near the river, before finding this grove to camp in for the night.

Most of my equipment was received from Mother Soft Eyes before her passing. My sleeping bag I slept in of course, my backpack made of a form of wood that was both strong and flexible.

Of course thinking about Mother Soft reminded me of the old days once again...

After Silk had left, we were quieter. Even if she didn't talk much when she was there, Silky always had a good outlook and opinion on things. She kept the conversation moving and you couldn't help but wish that a condescending voice would enter a conversation every now and then. I still can't believe I miss her contradicting tone.

Added on to that sad detail, he realized another painfully obvious secret. Still a blank flank at age 19? Yup.

Shaking these sad thoughts away, I focused on the task at hand. Getting berry toppings to make a Mega-Tasty-Fire-sandwich, my own unique recipe! Two buns with daisies in the middle and fire berries sprinkled onto the daisies.

"Delische, noi" laughing at my own, "Haha silly Hearth your not from Maris!" Joke.

It has been two and a half years since my depart from the orphanage and has been 19 years since my arrival at the orphanage. So I consider the time I've been at the orphanage my real age. I may be older, but Mother said I was practically an infant when I arrived. No note, no parents, and no stereotypical basket on the doorstep either. Just Mother walking into the nursery one day and realizing that one unicorn colt was not on the list, but in the crib.

Aww sweet mother, when I grew older and more responsible I helped around the orphanage. I helped watch over the infants and foals, teaching them their ABCs and 123s as well as playing hoof-ball and hoccer-ball. They considered me a father, knowing this surprisingly warmed the estranged colt's heart.

His other friends had left on their own journeys and adventures, never wanting to see the orphanage again. But Hearth had been different. He had stayed because of Mother Soft Eyes, in his mind she was his mother. The only reason he had left at all was because of her passing.

On her deathbed, he had stood over her putting his hoof in hers and stayed right with her until the end. She had smiled at him when she felt her beutiful yet weak heart giving way at an age of 56. Mother told him that she had already chosen a new caretaker and to not concern himself with the future of the orphanage. When he objected she had said something in her now weak voice, that he would never forget.

"Son... I have lived in that orphanage for 34 years... I have many regrets and every single one was not making my own family, making experiences... You have something Soul... Your like a son to me and I can honestly say you can make your way through life like a knife through bread... Please don't waste that at a place you cannot fulfill your true potential... Go out, meet a mare, have children for I know you will make a great father... Do this for your old Mother won't you... Adventure! Experience real life!... Remember this saying... And not when I come to die, discover I had not lived..."

Those were her final words, I can't forget them for how could I? They were special even though the last part puzzled me. If you come to die don't you live before you die? I didn't get it.

Realizing I was in memory lane sitting on the frosted earth and that my mind was wandering once again.

Shaking my head to get my mind cleared and standing off of the ground, I packed my backpack with the sleeping bag and the necessities I had brought out to examine. After doing this I stood up on all fours and traveled along the trail I had made with a stick dragging in the dirt to get back to the main road.

"Gotta stop drifting around in the lake of memories, I get enough of that in my sleep. Besides, I plan on making it to the next town by tonight anyhow and I keep drifting. I won't make it before nightfall, and lord Twilight knows what comes out on the road at night. Bandits, creatures, or the occasional acid rain."

I'm not insane! On a trek to a town through the mountains, it had started to rain acid. Quickly taking cover in a cave, attempting to wait it out only to find that it started to flood the cave. Dissolving anything it touched, he had managed to avoid the lethal liquid by scaling the cave wall stalacmites up to the stalactites. Finding a good hoof hold, he had waited out the acid to end and let the remaining acid drain somewhere down the cave.

Looking at the horizon I spotted spiraling smoke, but not as much that could support a large population such as Canterlot, but not small enough to be possible for a population such as DaisyVille and the rabid rabbits. (LOOOONNNG STORY and yours truly had to handle the situation with the bait of a harvest of carrots, along with a cure concealed inside the veggies.)

Getting back to his growling tummy trouble, he walked off the main road and into the woods surrounding it. The forest was ominously quiet, the only sound he heard were his hooves on fallen branches and the breath of the silent trees as they observed his passing. Finding some sort of animal path, he followed the trail until he came across a rather disturbing sign headed,

EVERFREE FOREST WHERE YOUR FEARS AND HORRORS COME TRUE! STAY OUT IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF YOUR LOVED ONES

as well as skulls and death signs.

"Stereotypes out the wazzoo. No way it's that dangerous... Right?"

Usually along his travels the more someone tried to seem evil, the less they were and the more they tried to seem nice and kind the less they were.

Take his last experience on the road for example, an old Pegasus pony mare had asked very sweetly to take a few of his fire berries, he had refused. Next thing he knew he was being chased down the road by a sweet old homicidal mare with a dual edged dagger. She would've taken the berries and then while he was handing them over, shanked him. Luckily for his young self, he was in his prime of age. Easily outrunning the crazy old mare who was screaming something about coating her pet ferret with berry sauce.

Since then he had been much more cautious with the silver Vixens on the road.

So deciding the sign was full of manure, Hearth Fire decided to risk the slight chance he would be devoured by some hocus pocus force of evil.

* * *

But in the forest, something didn't feel right about this.

There was no wind. Grass was obviously being chewed on in certain areas. Yet no apparent wildlife or ponies to have grazed currently. The trees were darker than at the animal trail. The bark was almost pitch black and the leaves had been long dead, drained of their color.

But that clenching of the gut feeling remained besides the evidence of no life. There. was no water was strike number two. So many trees needed water in order to grow. Sure they seemed dead but for the forest to start in the first place it needed water to develop in the first place.

No sign of any large water source such as a lake, and no river beds.

He didn't even know how long he'd been walking because of the blotted out sun behind the leaves. But it felt like it'd been hours and he was starting to get blisters in his hooves.

Looking around, I inspected the area I was now in.

More dead trees, but these were different somehow he could feel it with his magic. Then, looking behind him he came face to bark with a tree that had not been there previously.

"Tartarus spawn this is scary!" I yelled to no one in particular while backing away from this strange phenomenon. "Just give me some Celestia damned Fire Berries!"

Ok brain, do your magic.

Flaw#1: No water

Flaw#2: No life but grass seems to be bare in places but living in other. And seem to be trimmed or grazed, but no ponies or wildlife. An animal has recently eaten here but is not here anymore.

Flaw #3: There's a berry bush in that meadow tha-

Wait. Berry tree?

Confirming my brains indications, I spotted the exact thing I had come in here to find, a berry tree with fiery red branches. The tree was in a seemingly bare meadow except for small spots of grass along the trees fringed roots.

In any other scenario I would've run up and happily enjoyed a good Fire sandwich but this was wrong. The chances of finding it here of all places? Unlikely at the least. Plus, I could've sworn on Princess Twilights Crown he had already looked at that same exact spot not 30 seconds ago.

My neck hair prickled. I wasn't a superstitious pony but spinning around to find that a new Fire Berry tree had sprung up within the range of ten seconds from WITHIN a deceased tree didn't settle well with my gut.

My ears flattened out as I realized the danger I was facing. These were intelligent plants... INTELLIGENT PLANTS... Well Buck, this is the end of me I guess.

"Ya Mother Soft Eyes! This is totally worth the experience of traveling to be eaten, ripped apart, or whatever it is these things do!" Jumping to look behind me, I had to struggle to not to pee outright.

The berry tree'a roots were ripping themselves out of the soil and swirling in masses around the tree like tentacles on an octopus, only this was like a trithousand-pus with how many roots were swirling in the air. Some tentacles were so long, he didnt doubt that they could wrap around the orphanage, while most were not large enough to pick up a pebble. Then the scariest detail, bright green eyes sprouted in the trunk of the tree as well as a dagger-wood-chip teeth opening up above the eyes like some upside down face with no muzzle or nose.

The sound coming from the tree was excruciating, it was like a metal grate being ripped off it's hinges with brute force. Excreting a high pitched squeal that was obviously words of some sort.

_"Hello little, little pony of flame with no mark like the others of your kind that have wandered into our woods. I wonder if you taste different, BROTHERS! OUR FOOLISH MEAL HAS ARRIVED!"_

Keeping an eye on the apparent ringleader, I glanced back and realized 3 other trees were animating around the small field. as well as blocking off all exits to the way I came. I wasn't getting out of this by running.

"Are you bucking with me here Celestia!" I muttered with hope that the princess would be angry enough to come personally take him away from all this. No suck luck came.

"Trees, my buddies, I truly am sorry for you." Seeing the confused expression,(Do trees have expressions?)continued, "When was the last time you even ate? Or drank for that matter?"

_"Our last meal was not_ _but a few moons ago pony_, _we are not that hungry."_ Said the ringleader tree.

_"But we are parched, we have not drank in a millennium, the rivers and lakes dried up over 1,000 years ago!" _spoke one of the other trees.

"Ah then I have just the thing for you!" Reaching into my backpack I pulled out the bottle filled to the brim with water. "You want this savory delectable water? It's all yours for the price of my freedom!"

Looking down at the puny stallion trying to barter for his life, the trees made ugly screeching sounds. Laughter he mentally cringed at how awful it sounded but held his composure.

"Or I crack this thing and let it drain into the soil!"

The trees looked at him,_ "Is this pony mentally challenged brother? This will give the water directly to our roots..."_

Well, I feel stupid beyond belief. How do I get out of this one?

...

Brain?

...

Celestia Damn it brain you have one job! ONE JOB!

"Well then, I... I'll... Uhhh..."

_"Hahaha pony, you have_ _no way out. A__ccept your fate and DIE!"_

I was strong for a Unicorn, Tartarus I'm stronger than any earth pony, which was saying something. But my magic was strained, I could lift items and use a few easy spells like flame, but I knew I would only have enough magic in me to cast only one fire spell large enough to kill one of these tartarized version of trees. At least I'll go out fighting.

The 4th tree to animate attacked first, sending a long tentacle as long as a small mansion in my direction. No I must save my flame for the leader, at least then maybe they'll just go mad from no authority in the forest. Or, maybe I can escape through the gap of the tree that was killed, YES! Now at least he had a plausible strategy to use against these nefarious creatures.

Jumping over the tentacle I was hit in the side by the 3rd tree setting me on a beeline course to the 2nd tree. I wanted to kill the leader tree but this'll do. Blood is blood right? Don't be picky.

Charging up my horn I sent a wave of flame at the unfortunate tree, catching it square in the trunk. Gouging out his bucked up eyes and making him literally swallow my fire spell. Complete One hit KO.

I slammed into the tree while waves of pain washed over my body like a cruel tsunami. But I grinded my teeth and ignored the pain.

I rebounded off the singed tree and landed not as gracefully as I would've liked. Attempting to get up, pain shot into my rear right leg. Looking down, I realized during my scramble to get up my rear leg was grabbed by the tentacle of the nearest tree.

Thinking on my hooves, I did a curl up ending with my horn going straight through the trees tentacle. To my complete disgust, a limish green goop spilled out onto the ground as well as my horn becoming covered with the lifeblood of the tree.

Releasing a cry at the sight of it's now utterly useless tentacle, the tree gave an enraged yell. But the tree was too slow as I kicked my hoof out of the tentacle and sprinted into the forest beyond.

The last thing I heard were the angry shouts of the brother trees, and the pain filled screams of the burned tree that's life would soon be over.

Do trees feel pain? Because the awful sounds that echoed in my ears as I tore through the deceased forest shrubbery indicated, Tartarus yes they did.

I was running faster than I had ever done from an intense amount of adrenaline that even preceded the time I had eaten a particular garden bed of daisies that ended up being the royal Emperor of the land's personal buffet course. I can still remember my marish screams of terror I released while screaming and running away from a cannon and an angry emperor giving personal chase to the no longer hungry Colt.

Running through the dead woods, the only thing I felt was my heart pumping faster and harder than a WonderBolt's wings. Not even feeling the pain from scratches and splinters I received from my occasional abrupt and not so epic conclusional trips, or being whipped in the face by rebounding branches.

Only when I reached the edge of the forest did I stop and take deep rapid breaths.

All in all I was pretty proud of how I handled the situation until I started to feel weak and sleepy. Looking down, I noticed there was a large wound that had completely sliced off that entire segment of skin on both my rear leg and belly where the tentacle had hit me during my brief experimentation of becoming a bird. The injury combined with my gigantic magic use was causing my stamina to be giving way at a astonishingly rapid pace now that my adrenaline was gone.

Glancing up at the road and seeing somepony staring at you isn't exactly the best feeling as well.

She was a Pegasus and had a pink coat with a flowing black mane, sorta like Celestia's was rumored to be. But shaking my head, I realized it was simply a black mane and rainbow fur. Laughing at my delusional state, I decided not to make inferences at the moment. Feeling my conscious drift away, I was able to meekly squeeze out the words,

"Please Madam mare, help me... Help me..."

Before sailing into the sea of utter shadow and exhaustion.


	6. Meeting The Hopeful Blooms

**Authors Note: Bananas have lots of calcium give them a try.**

* * *

_I was in the same dream as before, I was crying into her shoulder. But there was no response from her._

_"Silk-?!"_

_I ripped my grasp away from Silk's and watched her as blood came pouring out of her muzzle like a nightmarish waterfall. _

_She fell onto her knees, then slowly tumbled forward into a bloody heap._

_"SILK!" I yelled through my tears as I ran to her side and slowly rolling her onto her back._

_"You couldn't save her boy, this is your causing after all, you were too weak." A voice directly behind me rasped with a hint of what I though was amusement._

_Whipping my head to face the source of the voice I was met with only more darkness._

* * *

Slowly waking from my slumber, I heard quiet, yet firm voices discussing something beside my bed. (At least i thought i was on a bed, it's cooshy!) I decided to play the quiet game and listen to the voices of the other ponies. I can gain some info and maybe find things out before showing I'm conscious. Or if they're hostile, wait for an opportunity to arise...

"I don't know Bloom, what if he's dangerous?" Said a gruff voice of which I predicted was a Stallions.

"He was wounded Daddy! I couldn't just leave him! He asked for my help as well, what sociacidal pony asks for help?" Said a mare who I now knew is the one who saved me on the road.

"You're only saying that cause you think he's nice on the eyes and don't want him to end up gutting you! I bet if he was one of dem ugly fellers you'd be fine with kicking him out!" Said the pony who must've been the father of the mare.

"D-Daddy come on now! I have a heart! I don't judge like, THAT." With amusement, Hearth sensed embarrassment in her voice.

Alright these were good folks. My little act can end now.

"You know I've been listening to that entire conversation right, gramps and cute mare?" Sensing they're shocked faces I opened my eyes and sat up in the bed and gave a slight smile at the two dumbstruck ponies.

The father was a muscular Pegasus pony. He had a gray coat with a brown mane and golden eyes that were staring daggers at Hearth's act of surprise. Along with a cutie mark of a cloud raining down onto an apple orchard.

But the mare, Bloom looked different. She was an Earth pony with an apricot colored coat with a blonde mane and hazel eyes. She also had a cutie mark of a Black silhouetted pony with speed marks behind of it. Blushing from his description of her.

"Sorry, but I had to tell if I should plan a plan a break out, or a friendly conversation. I'm glad the process is going this way though. I doubt I could take you Mr., at least at the moment anyway."

Clearing his throat the father said in a cautious tone, "What's your name son? And stay away from my daughter hear me?" Adding the last part with a growl in his throat.

"My names Hearth Fire sir, and with respect I think that your daughter has her own rights. If your thinking I'm going to rape her, your sadly misled. Because that's not in my character."

While he was silently staring at Hearth, he took the opportunity to size up his surroundings.

He had bandaged hooves and belly, completely wrapped around the injuries. His horn had been cleaned of the trees gunk. As well as little bandages on where he suspected to be scratches he hadn't noticed on his sprint back to the road.

The room was old fashioned with a wool bed, a bathroom to the right. Out the window I spotted trees growing green and healthy. Along with a bright sun shining down on the fields of trees with apparently already harvested apples outside the house.

"Ya'll like our fields Fire? Took us eons to grow and we've inherited it from generation to generation! Ma's out in the field, we grow apples for Ponyville." Said the mare apparently snapping out of her trance and had a Southern accent, unlike her gruff father.

I'm honestly glad I made the call of calling her cute. Bloom was a beautiful mare with a coat of light orange with a mane of red, and eyes that were so enrapturing that I felt I could look forever into those hazel eyes. But what really sold it was the dusty brown Stetson hat that was on her head and the freckles on her nose and cheeks.

Call me an oddball, but I found southern accents and freckles irresistible.

"So she speaks! Ponyville you say? Haven't heard of that one, where are we on the map? What region are we in honey?" I asked with as much seduction as I could muster.

YES to the reader, I realized not too long after the fight incident how ironically right Linen was. I started to become aroused in mares since the trek to my first village where I coincidentally met my first marefriend.

Rose Petal, prettiest Pony in the village. Decided to hang out around there for a few years. Had fun, partied with her, (if you get my drift) and had to break it off because of the knowledge of her practically wanting me to give her a thousand babies. Normally yes with the hottest mare ever right?

Well sure we had a few one time flanky calls, but I didn't know why all of a sudden she came into my apartment at night and tried to snuff and rape me. If your still wondering why I broke it off, what is wrong with you?

Bloom giggled with a blush, "Well sugar cube, we're in the South Western part of Equestria. Ya'll can even see the princesses palace from here! Come with me, that is if ya'll feeling better if ya'll want to see."

I could easily tell she just wanted some time alone with him due to her father watching every move they made.

"NO! You can't do that with this pony we've just met! Besides, I don't like the way he's eyeing you like that sweet pea."

"Sir, I realize your nervous about me coming out of a forest covered in the blood of a pony eating tree but-"

"Hold on son, you ran into the _Saragaunts_?! There is no way someone like _you_ took on one of those and lived to tell the tale!" He vehemently ranted.

"What?"

Seeing the time to come into the conversation was now, Bloom explained. "The Saragaunts are 4 trees that have come to life from somethin or other happinin. Anyways, my- my sister Sweet Nectar was eaten by one and- and..." Not bearing to keep her tears in any longer, she started to bawl.

Granted this happened ALOT more than you'd expect from mares, bursting into tears. But this was different. I had never seen one cry over something so serious that I had no way of joking about. So I did Plan B: Be serious.

Getting out of the bed wobbly, still weak from the encounter, and trotted over to her to try to comfort her.

"Bloom, come on now. I'm sorry about what happened, I truly am. But there is no use dwelling in the past." Before she would hate his non-sensitive speech he continued, "I know you loved her and wish she was here. But this wasn't yours or anyones fault but those Tartarized bucking trees. Now calm down okay? Your dads staring daggers at me for even talking to you in such a close vicinity."

Good, still followed plan A:always levity the situation somehow.

"heh... *sniff* I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I've cried well enough over this... Thanks Hearth." She said with a smile as she wiped away her tears.

"She's still alive you know Bloom, she's just sleeping..." Her father chipped in, also with a crestfallen expression on his muzzle.

"I know Pa, it's just that I wish she was here instead of inside that thing."

Not fully understanding the situation, I inquired, "How is she still alive if she was eaten?"

Bloom responded to my question, " The trees keep them alive in stasis somewhere in the ground beneath of the tree. They feed on the desires of ponies, they see what you desire and lead you in, until there's no way out. Awful fate it must be... We've tried to get her out of there, but ponies attempting to rescue their loves from the depths never come back. They're just added to the already massive collection of ponies and critters that have been eaten."

Staying quiet until now, the father spoke up while putting a hoof on my shoulder, "How did you escape them?"

Looking at him now, he looked desperate and for the first time. I saw who he really was instead of his, "I'm so tough don't mess with me!" act.

So I regaled them with my story.

* * *

When I was finished, to my immense surprise, they laughed at how I almost died.

"He-he-heh! You almost died, to finish your SANDWICH?! HAHAHAAH!" Boisterously yipped the old pony with Bloom joining him in fits of uncontrollable laughter.

"...ha ha."

"Aww he-he come on Sugar Cube! It IS actually a funny story! How you tried to threaten them with y'all's water was the funniest part in my opinion!"

"He-he, alright so you killed one tree Hearth, maybe the ponies are in there! Or maybe it leads to where they are! You must show us son! We can save the lives of so many unfortunate ponies..."

"Ya sugarcube! Y'all can lead us there! You don't have to enter if you don't wanna, but we would be in your debt until the end of eternity."

Looking into her hopeful eyes, I couldn't find it in me to say no like I normally did to these kind of situations. (The rabid bunnies were different! They promised me any remaining carrots, that was ALOT of carrots too.)

"... AWWW Tartarus Bloom why're you looking at me like a puppy?! I'm in!"

Bloom and her father looked at me with shocked faces that I was now used to, being me and all.

"You, mean it son? But you barely know us!" The bulky stallion said with wide eyes.

"You folks are good, kindhearted, and plus I owe you one for saving my flank on the road. Have I even thanked you?! Thank you by the way Bloom."

"Apple Bloom." When she saw my confused face she continued, "My full names Apple Bloom. I was named after my great-great-grand mare who was the sibling to the last element of harmony, Honesty."

"If my little sweet pea deems you worthy of her name, then so do I. My names Storm Cloud. I married INTO the apple family as you can see." He said with a chuckle.

"Thanks, and don't worry. I wont wear your name out!"

We all have a bad joke every now and then, I didn't know how lame it would sound. I swear on Princess Twilights crown!

Ignoring the terrible joke, Apple Bloom smirked at my now flustered face and said, "Well aren't you glad I didn't leave him out to die now Daddy?"

Storm smiled, "Ok ok I get it I'm a terrible pony. You did well hon, I'm glad you inherited your mothers hopeful heart."

"Where is momma anyways? She should be back by now... Shouldn't she be back by now Daddy?"

"Hmm the new season has just come. She's probably running herself ragged from thinking you held her up with all those bandages Fire."

"Oh geez, sorry. She did these?"

Storm chuckled, "Damn right she did. When she saw you coming in on the back of her crying daughter, she dropped everything to help you with anitbiotics and what-not. Took a good hour and a half to get you cleaned up."

Raising an eyebrow at the mare who was suddenly interested in the ground with a blush redder than her hair.

Deciding not to torture Bloom for crying for him, "So let's go find out if your daughters ok, and maybe get some revenge for the years they've lost!"

"Son we need to wait till it gets light out. The days practically over and you won't do us much good in your condition. You have a place to stay?" Watching me shake my head, sighed. "Well, *sigh* I guess you can have Nectar's old bed before the incident."

Apple Bloom had a horrified look on her muzzle, "I-I have to get ready for bed And have a hot shower to get rid of all this sweat, night Daddy! See you Hearth..."

Confused by her sudden change of embarrassment to terror, asked, "Umm wheres my room? I should hit the hay."

His father obviously still bearing some distrust of the young stallion leaned in until his muzzle was nearly touching Fire's, "Sharing a room with Apple Bloom. Try anything, and say goodbye to your stallion assets boy."

Storm, scowling and trotting out the door with what sounded like him going up stairs. Slamming the door to what he suspected was the parents room.

Hearing this, Hearth decided to wait for Apple Bloom to get out of the shower and show him to his room.

Dragging himself out of his slightly bloody cotton bed, he stood on all fours and trotted out of the room to what appeared to be the kitchen.

There was a window pointing towards a small town in the distance, with a trail leading to town. A nice floral vase, and several cabinets as well as 2 wooden doors. One next to the window while the other was opposite of the stand with the vase. Lastly, a small rounded wooden table and 4 chairs.

Still keeping Sweet Nectar's chair, how hopeful of them. Or just a memorial of sorts, it didn't matter. He would rescue that mare even if it killed him.

Taking the seat facing the window to town, he waited. Not soon after sitting down his stomach started to growl.

For the first time, Hearth realized how hungry he was. The last time he had eaten was at last nights campsite, and that was only the last of his stock of carrots, which was just two measly carrots.

"Sounds like ye got yerself a stomach yeti darlin!"

Hearth turned his head to see a Sandy Yellow coated Earth Pony mare with a red mane like Apple Blooms and a cutie mark of a green and red apple orbiting each other.

"Why hello! You must be Mrs. Bloom! I'm the Colt you patched up, remember me?"

"Heh of course darlin, although I'm surprised to see you out of bed! I expected you to stay in that bed until tomorrow morning! Healthy one aren't ya? Ooh and so handsome! Have you met my daughter, Apple Bloom?"

"Yes mamb?"

"OH GOODIE! Err, this may seem strange, but is she putting the moves on you sugar cube?"

"Umm, kinda the opposite Mrs. Bloom..." Hearth said while nervously rubbing the back of his neck with his hoof wondering what her response would be.

"*Squee!* Oh thank Luna for y'all! I was wondering when she'd find herself a nice stallion!"

Blushing under my fur I nervously laughed at the unexpected response of the mother.

"He-he thank you Mrs. Bloom, but your kinda weirding me out here!" I said with complete honestly.

"Haha oh lord you remind me of storm before we started dating! Who knows what can happen youngun. Fates one tricky Stallion..."

"Or mare!" Believing that if fate were to be complicated, it was definently a mare.

Smiling at my reference, "Honey you can call me by my real name, Ground Bloom."

"Well then, nice to meet you Ground."

"Likewise dear, APPLE! YOU CAN STOP EAVESDROPPING! COME OUT HERE!"

Facing the way Ground Bloom was yelling. I saw a composed, yet tinted red face stumble out of the hallway with wet hair curled up into a towel.

"I wasn't eavesdropping mom! I was just fixing my hair."

With a knowing smirk, Ground replied with a hoof raised up in a defensive manner, "Of course dear. But I've never seen you so interested in hair until now. I'll go out these here buckets in the barn be right back! Just wanted to examine this here stallion and make sure he hadn't killed y'all and run off."

Trotting out the door, me and Apple awkwardly looked at each other.

"Err, so we're sharing rooms it seems..."

"... What? Oh yeah! I completely forgot. Completely."

I smiled at her extreme adorkableness. Why did that sound wrong in my mind? It didn't sound right in my mind describing her like that.

"Uhh, can you show me to my room?"

WHAT?! Was that even me? Cause that sure didn't sound like me! No joke, no exaggeration, no sarcasm, no humor, and no cutesy comment. Just simply questioning.

Get yourself together Hearth! But I couldn't help it! This mare made my mind go blank when I looked at her. Awestruck by something I couldn't put my hoof on.

Realizing she hadn't answered my question and that we were just staring at each other, for Twilight knows how long.

Whipping our heads over to the window, we saw Ground Bloom staring at the both of us giggling with wide, humored eyes.

"MOOOM! Who's the eavesdropper now huh?! YOU get in here!"

Laughing as she walked in the door, "I'm sorry I ruined y'alls special moment sugar cube I'm just so happy is all! You've never been interested in a stallion like this before!" Turning her head to and snickering at her red face, and my confused but also embarrassed expression and said, "Oh I'm sorry dearie, your JUST FRIENDS." laying heavy pressure on the words, "just friends".

Mumbling something to herself, Apple glanced at me then looked away, "Come on Hearth, lets go hit the hay!" Trotting up the same staircase Storm had, we heard Ground make one last haunting comment.

"SHOULD I GET OUT MY NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES?!"

Opening the door to a room on the right side of the hall and with surprising strength grabbed and yanked me into what must've been her room.

The room had already held the light of a candle near her bedside. Looking down, I realized her hoof was wrapped around mine. Apple was just staring at our hooves with an intrigued look on her face.

A little bit creeped out, I withdrew my hoof and walked over to my bed. Across the room from the one I suspected was hers due to the candle.

Wow, my brain did its first GOOD observation for today. Score one for Hearth, it was my bed. This pleased me much more than it should have due to the fact that he had only chosen the right bed to lay his blank-flank down on, not discovering Pondora's box for Celestia's sake.

Laying down on her bed, he decided to inquiry the mare at the other side of the room.

"Psst! Apple Bloom!"

"Hearth? Sugar cube what is it? I'm trying to sleep here..."

"... how'd you get your cutie mark?"

"I hate you SSOOO much right now you stupid stallion," hearing me laugh in the dark, she shook her head at this nonsense.

"Eh, but you've earned the right to hear it I guess. One day as a young filly I had signed up for track at my old schoolhouse."

"What's track?"

"Are you kidding me Hearth? Track is a sport where you compete in different running contests, didn't you have it at your schoolhouse?"

"..."

"I get it! Sensitive subject, anyway on my first try on the course, I competed with the other fillies, but I had run 5 times faster that the second place winner! So I was moved up to the stallions division. This time though, I was only 4 times as fast as the second place winner. I kept on getting better and better until I broke the schools top speed record by twice the original record speed. My other friends called me Bloom Bullet. He-he... Good times."

"Wow, that really is something isn't it?... To let you know Bloom, I never had a schoolhouse."

"What? Why? Were you homeschooled or something?"

"You could say that... I grew up at an orphanage in Maneida."

"So- so you didn't even have parents?!"

"None."

"Oh Celestia Hearth I'm so sorry that must've been terrible!"

"Not as terrible as you would think it to be, I had great friends and good food. I wonder where the other personalities went..."

"The personalities?"

"Yup, that's what we called ourselves."

"How fitting for you."

"Haha, yes I guess so. I bet you would've liked a certain mare that was there too!"

"Whoa there Hearth. I ain't one of them filly foolers before you think otherwise. I like my romances stallionified."

"Haha, oh really? Your mother doesn't seem to think that you've had that many romances."

"Oh c'mon Hearth! Don't listen to ma! In fact, I beg of you. Don't listen to ma!"

"Um, so you've had lots of stallions in your life?"

"... Not really no. But don't listen to her on anything else al'ight?"

"You mean her jokes on us as a couple right?"

"Y-Yeah that, you think those were jokes?"

"I think so I mean..."

"Oh..."

"No! It's just that we hardly know each other... In fact we just met today!"

"... Yah your right, it's stupid thinking."

"I really am awful at this aren't I?"

"Who would I have liked at the orphanage?"

Thank Luna she was changing the subject!

"Her name was Silky Sensations, you kinda remind me of her in a way..."

"And what way would that be?"

"You're both honest, intelligent, and true to yourself."

"... How many marefriends have you had in YOUR life?"

Aww donkey manure back on this subject? I thought I was in the clear!

"Around 3 cases that I actually was interested in the mares and was going out with them."

"Hmm and why'd you break it off with them?"

What in Tartarus was I sensing in her voice? It had been there since the beginning of the conversation.

"Too clingy, too baby crazy, and too like me."

"Too... Like you? How does that make sense?"

"Apple, I'm looking to spend the rest of my life with a pony that can help me improve my character and outlook on life. Right now I'm clueless about all that stuff. So I figure I need somepony to help me out."

"Wow. That's actually kinda deep Hearth, are you one of d'em sentimentals?"

"In a way I suppose... Oh I have another question! Earlier you spoke of being named after the sister of a element of harmony... So what's an element?"

"Are you messing with my apples?! The elements of harmony, around 250 years ago! No? You really don't know do you?"

"I guess not since you're staring at me like a crazy pony."

"Haha... Ok anyways the elements of harmony were the elements that were made up of the elements of friendship. And my great-great-great grand aunt was one! She represented honesty for her hard work and never told a lie in her life."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Wow, so what were the other elements?"

"Hmm I really don't know bout d'em. Just proud of my own I guess."

"Well I gotta face it, that's pretty bad-flank! I wonder what the others were... Wait why were they even important?"

"They imbued warm feelings in the enemy, fixing them. Or putting them into a stone like stasis if they were truly evil."

"... Sounds like some powerful stuff."

"... Well it's getting late. Good talk but I want to be on full alert tomorrow for when we face off against those trees."

"We'll get her back, I know we will Apple. I can feel it."

No response, just the contented breaths of a sleeping pony.


	7. ANOTHER Walk In The Woods

"Time to git at them Saragaunts, y'all ready?"

"For the last time sweet Pea, stop yer worrying. We'll be fine!"

Honestly I didn't mind Apple Bloom's double checking. It helped me think we were prepared for anything that could come at us.

"She's just worrying Storm."

"There's a difference between worrying, and freaking son. We'll be alright!"

"Ok. Before we head out, have EITHER of you farm ponies ever faced off against a Saragaunt?"

Surprising me, they both nodded their heads.

"We took some other town ponies and tried to rescue Nectar... It was stupid and we got them taken." Storm said, looking at the forest with a blank expression.

"Don't think like that Storm. You did what you thought was right and nopony blames you for that."

"*Sigh* We'll see, now we've wasted enough time. C'mon yall, time to head out."

Giving a last frantic look through our supplies. Apple shakily nodded her head.

In my pack I had a pair of garden shears, a dozen apples, and more water. Same for the rest of their packs as well.

"Ok here we go Hearth, you can do this. Save that filly..."

Following the two farm ponies, he headed for the Everfree Forest.

* * *

"Thanks for talking to Daddy about that, he really needed it and he wouldn't believe me or Momma when we told him."

Looking up Hearth saw that Bloom had fallen behind to talk to him. With her usual Stetson hat and a bag with identical equipment as his.

"Aww he's fine with it Apple! He's a strong stallion, he would've been fine."

"Nah he wasn't. He always seemed to spend his free time looking at this 'ere forest. I think he was thinking about the ponies lost to those Tartarus spawn."

"Ha, that's the first cuss word I've heard ya say Bloom!"

"Yah? Well get use to it cause ah've been saving a few words for dem trees."

With a devious grin, she asked me, "This far enough sugar cube? I think it was around here I found y'all beat up."

"Yes, this is it. I didn't realize how close it was to the apple farm!"

"Eeyup! The only reason I found you a'tall was because I take runs down this road."

"Hehe, you know Bloom? The first time I saw you while I was hallucinating you were an alicorn just like Celestia herself!"

"Haha, really? I ain't on of dem movie star beauties. I'm just me, not cute, and sweaty from a hard days work."

Saying unintentionally, with such force it surprised himself.

"You are NOT UGLY Apple Bloom! Hear me? I think you're way better in character than any model, and yet you still have the beauty to match theirs. THAT'S TRUE beauty Bloom. Not your looks, which are already stunning, but in the heart."

Staring at me for my little tangent, I suddenly felt very light headed.

"... You think that? Really?"

"More than you realize."

Faster than one of her lassoes I had watched her use on a wild bull that morning, gave a quick peck on his cheek before galloping up ahead to talk to her father.

"Err, hmmm?!"

Feeling my fur in the place she had kissed me, I realized the completely obvious.

The beutiful farm mare had a crush on me.

The signs were all there! Why didn't I notice them?!

Touching his hoof, eavesdroppimg on conversations, and that warmth she had in her voice she seemed to reserve just for him. What was this?! She had only met him a day ago for Celestia's sake!

They had bonded somewhat, with him saving her long lost sister she was bound to want to repay him somehow.

Or maybe it was genuine, maybe she is meaning it!

See this is why I don't listen to you brain. She didn't genuinely like HIM. She liked his features and combined with him coincidentally being the big Hero? She didn't like him for him, and she never will.

"Hey dream Colt, get your flank over here." Lightning said ripping his mind away from its current mind rubix cube. Is love just one big rubix cube in my eyes? Yes it was. I didn't think Mother wanted me to marry the mare of my dreams, just the prettiest and most popular.

It's a given that I was a flank hole on the subject of love. Rejecting the ones who wanted real relationships, for the short yet erotic relationships. Was I just a sex crazy Stallion? Yeah, I guess I was.

But he HAD gone out with real mares before, 3 as he mentioned to Bloom. He had been interested in them not for their looks. (I'm not going to even try to say that didn't help them though in the relationship.) I wonder what happened to them after he had broken it with them...

"Yah sure thing Storm! What is up with y'all dem trees by the crik?"

"Sonny, I can and WILL hit you if you do that." Flashing me a smile."This the sign you described?"

Looking at the tree with the same message Hearth had completely ignored for some stupid he reason right now didn't seem like the best choice he's made with his life. But at least something was coming out of it for other ponies who were innocent.

"Yup! Can't believe I thought it was stereotypical before. Though knowing what's in this forest of Tartarus, I can honestly say. Buck me!"

"I like the attitude, but save it for the dem trees and not yourself alright? Haha."

"Please Thunder, I am raring to take a swing at one of those things!"

"That's not how we're playing this out stupid Colt. This is secretive, we sneak into the dead tree and find out how to release the others."

"Ok gramps, we'll play it your way. But I'm not anxious to go back down the hole after this is over, and I knows some of the escaping ponies will get picked off by the alive, and will be enraged hungry trees!"

"Yer smarter than you give yourself credit for Hearth. I'm sure of that now, but we can't take on three trees! One of them is normally worth ten of us regular folk. The few unicorns like you don't know cow squat bout that fancy magic voodoo."

"That's what it is to farm folk like yourselves? If it's voodoo, why am I not huddled over a brew and laughing out of sheer madness?"

"You sound like you've thought this through youngun, havn't you?"

"Name one unicorn Colt who DIDN'T want to be a warlock or witch when they were young!"

"Hehe, anyhow we should get moving we aren't getting anything done having friendly chat now are we? Take the lead Hearth, we'll follow you and watch your back." Before he moved past the sign, more worrying from the old Stallion and a strangely quiet Mare. "And be quiet! I don't know if these things can hear but I'd rather not learn the hard way."

Rolling his eyes at the Stallions doding over him, he continued with the strangely less ominous silence with ponies he could call friends.

* * *

"Alright you two, we're here."

They were behind separate trees looking at the meadow with three standing trees and one collapsed burnt tree.

The Saragaunts. But they hadn't seemed to notice the trio yet. He wasn't going to complain with the odd, perfect way things were going.

Saying her first words in about 10 minutes, (He was concerned over her silent attitude. She could be REALLY sick!) "Look Daddy, there's a hole where that thing used to be!"

"Good going sweet pea! Now then, I'll go in first, honey you'll go in second, and Hearth last." Crawling towards the hole, Storm had no idea how awkward he had made the situation between the two remaining ponies.

Bloom was looking at the hole intently. Hearth knew she WANTED to talk about what was going on, but didn't know how to bring it up. So he did the man thing and said,

"Hey do you by chance make any sugar apples at the farm? If so, what's the cost?"

Not even bothering to respond, she rolled her eyes and crawled towards the hole after seeing her father disappear into the gaping hole in the groud.

"Seriously Hearth? Do they grow sugar apples? What's the price?! Someone give this Stallion an award for bumpiest mare operator! Never try to talk to a mare with a crush while hungry, EVER." Noted to self.

Bloom, giving one last look back at him, jumped into the hole.

"Ok, watching Spy Foals when you were younger is about to pay off! Let's kick it buddy!"

Crawling towards the hole like his belly button had been Gorrilla glued to the Planet, he reached the ridge and looked down.

It was actually not as deep as it seemed back at the hiding spot. Hearth saw Storm and Bloom dusting off her coat. There were two tunnels leaving off to the left and right of the undergroud chamber, how interesting...

Buffing up his courage, he jumped into the hole landing on all fours.

"Whoa there son, were you spotted?"

"No, and I'm fine by the way, thanks for caring."

"Don't get sarcastic with him Hearth! If you HAD been spotted, we'd end up like all the poor partners who were taken by this thing!"

"Ok ok, just joking sorry. We shouldn't focus on depressing stuff. Think about the party we'll be honored at after we get these ponies out of here!"

"... Fine. Me and Daddy will take this tunnel." Pointing her hoof at a suspiciously light tunnel. "and you can take that one." Pointing her hoof at a smaller, darker pathway.

I'm not usually that claustrophobic, I've been through countless situations that would've made any other pony scared to set hoof outside their homes.

In the Mane mountain, he had mined gold ore for the peasent ponies to be able to pay off their debt to the cruel emperor of the small land, just outside the borders of Equestria.

But in the process, he had caved in a particularly weak section of wall rock. Making him run for the exit. Before he made it out however, a large chunk of rock fell on his back almost cracking his spine into separate pieces. Barely making it out, he had to lay in a bed for months waiting for his spine to heal properly.

Not an experience he would like to relive. But he knew if there was a chance of saving Nectar and the other townsponies, he had to Stallion up.

* * *

"Why the buck did you stallion up Hearth Fire, geez it's creepy in here! I doubt my eyes would even be showing from the cart-"

*CRUNCH*

Freezing in place, Hearth shined his magical light ball onto the ground at his hoof.

"A branch? What the buck?"

The branch appeared to be years old. Puzzled, Hearth brought his light up and slowly advanced towards the end of the tunnel. He could tell by seeing the opening space and not being able to spot the ceiling any longer.

Poking his head into the cavern, he heard breathing. LOTS of breathing. Bringing his light forward he saw with no little amount of fear, a ponies back.

"Celestia buck it all, this is like the ending of Paranormal Pony Three! That's not a good thing!"

Cautiously moving forwards, he brought his hoof up and tapped the Colts shoulder. (It might've been a mare, but it was skinny and he didn't have the nerve to confirm a visual check on the ponies gender.) No response. The pony was completely gray with a dirty and stiff gray mane with a rope sticking out of his head.

"I don't think that's a new hair style, so why would he have a, Oh bucking Tartarus!"

Upon further inspection of the unidentified pony, he realized it was no simple rope in his mane.

It was a root growing up to the unseen ceiling.

Not really wanting to go, but not wanting to touch the root either. Hearth decided to solve the problem by doing what usually fixed them all. He poked it.

Hearth jumped back when the root glowed a poisonous green and started to emanate a humming sound as a green wave traveled up to the ceiling. Upon contact with the ceiling, Hearth had to cover his eyes as an explosion of light filled the cavern with a thunderous, BOOM! that resonated down the tunnel behind him as well as echoing in cavern.

Finally squinting his eyes to see through the brightness, Hearth's jaw dropped to the floor.

There were thousands of roots implanted on creatures from Armadillos to even a Zebra!" (I still wonder how a zebra got stuck there, but it was not the time to ask questions to myself. I had a crowd to entertain now.)

Shaking the stallion (yes it was a stallion I could easily tell from the lighting.) as hard as I could and screaming at him to wake up. This strategy not working, I went on my rear hooves to grab the root with my magic and rip it off his head. But I was interrupted rudely before I could test my idea out.

_"Stop little pony... It's useless."_

It was like the hideous speech of the Saragaunts, but sounded weaker and more strained.

I looked up at the source of the voice and saw exactly what I expected to.

A tree was growing at the far end of the cavern in a tiny plot of soil, barely fitting the gigantic tree that was growing. But this was no tree. It was a massive Saragaunt. I was right, it was different than the other bloodthirsty monsters upstairs.

The face was more soft and motherly. Old as well. Hundreds upon hundreds of rings marking the age of the tree. Unlike the others, she had green leaves that were growing green and healthy.

Confused by her little interruption, I looked at her in the what I thought were eyes and said, "What do you mean?! These ponies are dieing and I'm just standing here like an idiot! What in Celestia's name are you supposed to be anyway!?"

_"I am the mother of this forest Stallion. I need these creatures here to create life in the even more drastic climates that are happening as we speak! The last time it rained was 250 years ago. My tree kind are dieing off, and I, like you, are trying to save them, no matter what the cost to anything else is. Something awful is happening to Equestria pony and you would be wise to take my advice. Hide and gather you're loved ones and wait for the end..."_

"I'm truly sorry, mama tree. But I can't walk away from this one. I will stand and fight for them. How many have you killed? How many innocent lives have you destroyed to get what you wanted?"

The Mother Saragaunt looked at him with sad eyes.

_"Too many for me to love myself. But they fuel my trees with what little energy these creatures support us with, so I cope. Please know pony I never wanted to take any things life, and that I'm sorry for what I have to do to you now."_

Confused for only a second processing the threat. But what attack I didn't expect, was from my own kind.

Twisting around, the gray pony that I was helping punched me straight in the gut sending me stumbling backwards.

"Buck it all to Tartarus. One thousand zombies against one Pony with only a pair of garden shears!"

But I couldn't even use them, they'd shred apart the very ponies I had come here to rescue. As if realizing it was show time, the rest of the gray ponies slowly stood up and faced in my direction with cold empty eyes.

The same stallion who had hit him before came at him for round two. This time, he was prepared.

Attempting another straight punch at him, Hearth swatted away the zombies punch with his left hoof away and came up with a right uppercut.

That did it! The hit connected with the grey ponies muzzle and sent him into a small flight across the ground.

But it got back up with no sign of the slightest injury.

"That would've knocked the manure out of any other stallion I know. I swear to Celestia I'm normally better! Why am I comforting slash raging? I'll never know unl-"

The stallion had leaped at Hearth again with renewed vigor. The two started trading punches and hits.

If that army of zombies reaches me, I'm screwed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hearth saw the remaining masses of ponies slowly converging on the two dueling stallions.

Catching Hearth in the face with a right jab, the stallion slid behind of him and started to strangle Hearth to death.

He was starting to see blackness at the rims of vision now, it was over, he had lost. Hope was dead and so would he soon be.

Starting to lose conscious, he felt the grip of the stallion instantly vanish. Kneeling on the ground sputtering to regain his breath, he saw somepony he had never thought he'd be so happy to see.

Storm Cloud had grabbed the stallion up into his massive arms and tossed him over to Bloom who finished the zombie off by giving a tremendous rear-two-leg back kick into the stallions rib cage. With a loud cracking sound, he was sent flying into the masses of the controlled hoard of ponies moving forward.

"Son?! What kind of riot have you spurred up round here?!" Storm nervously said looking at the expressionless mass.

"*cough cough* No time for an explanation now Storm! Do you see that tree with the face up there?" Storm nodded in confirmation to his description. "Good! Fly me up there and we can finish this here and now!"

"What about Apple Bloom?!"

"I'll handle myself Daddy, go stop this."

"... Alright sweet pea, but if you get beat up or worse, you're not watching television at the hospital!"

Was this his attempt at humor?! Dark Stuff.

Apple Bloom, giving a little bit of an afraid frown at her father, he laughed and picked me up by my hips.

We zoomed over the hordes who were reaching for the air as if trying to grasp them telekinetically.

"You sure you can do this one last time Son?!" Storm said over the noise of moaning ponies below. Thinking he was referencing to the fire spell, I nodded confidently.

Of course I didn't! I gave a humongous fire wave at the Saragaunts upstairs! But this Mother was thrice larger than those now seemingly puny menaces.

But I had to do it somehow, to save Apple Bloom, Storm, these ponies, and Nectar. I remembered the promise I made to myself, to get her even if it killed him. Thus the price of being a hero.

Charging up my horn to it's full capacity and more, I remembered how these ponies had helped me when they didn't have to, they were good. He was confident of this. And so, he accepted his fate.

He wouldn't make it out of this.

"Hey Storm, tell Nectar to follow her sister, and tell Apple Bloom sorry I had to leave so early."

With a confused look, Storm realized for the first time how bright his horn was glowing.

"Son, NO!"" Trying to cover Hearth's horn with his hoof. But it was too late.

A fireball the very size of the Bloom's barn, that's what shot out of the tiny unicorn's horn. Hearth Fire not even being able to see his creation through the darkness that had enveloped around his brain...

* * *

Apple Bloom had not left the side of the unicorn patient who had arrived that afternoon. As well as thousands of ponies feeling weak and actually GRAY.

The doctors feared it was an epidemical disease, but only the mare and stallion sitting by the stallion knew the truth.

"... Think we should tell the doctors the story about the origin of the gray sweet pea?"

"..." Silence from Apple Bloom as usual. Well, not for usual but the mare had basically cried her eyes out when she thought he had died. The doctors said he SHOULD be dead from the gargantuan magic use to form that fireball.

Hearth wasn't faring much better than being dead. He was in a deep coma. Every doctor in Ponyville sadly suggested pulling the plug on him. But learning about the hero that basically sacrificed his life for the lives of others, they had decided to give him a little more time.

Storm would admit, he had his doubts about the stallion. But he was now convinced. The unicorn actually had a heart through all that joking nonsense.

"..." He hated his little girl's silence. It was excruciating for the old stallion. She had always talked, usually he couldn't get her to stop.

"Uhh, hello? Is this Hearth Fire's room?"

Looking over say the doorway, he saw two gray ponies. Must be victims of the Saragaunts coming to say thanks.

"Yes." surprising Storm with Apple Bloom's first words since Hearth's arrival at the hospital.

"Aww cool! I knew he saved us! I knew it!"

"Huh, not surprised he went through with it though. Knowing him, he seems like a coward until it comes to clutch time where it's between him and some pony else."

"You ponies knew him?"

"Oh where did our manners go? I'm Gusty Gale and this is Cotton Wood."


	8. The Great Awakening

"I'm sorry to you four, but visiting hours are over."

The nurse had come by to inform the 4 ponies conversing next to the bedside of a cherry red coated stallion in a coma.

Trotting at a brisk pace out of the hospital, the pony named Gusty explained,

"Yeah, that's Hearth for you! Always joking until it comes to the real deal. But I'd be lieing if I said I expected him to go this far with it, to the point of death. But knowing how smart he really was, he had a damn good reason for it."

"How y'all know him anyhows?" Apple inquired looking at the gray duo.

"Well, we practically survived at the orphanage together. Me, Gusty, Hearth, and... Silky. I wonder what happened to that mare? I bet she's been voted most beautiful mare in Equestria by now." Cotton replied respectfully to the Father-daughter team.

"This Silky, what was she like? Hearth told me a little bit about her at the farm, but that was it."

"Well, she was brilliant as a filly, so I bet she's finding a cure to prancer or solving the key to space travel somewhere as we speak." Cotton said before Gale pitched in with the subject, "And good lord Celestia she was beautiful! But we didn't really want to mess with her little crush on Hearth. Hehe."

"Now Gale, have respect. They were only friends."

"Are you kidding me Cotton? She was always telling me she wanted to go talk to him, then came back saying he was busy. He was on the SWINGS Cotton! Swings aren't made to be alone. They're made for other ponies to join, which means that she simply didn't have enough courage to talk to him."

"Err, sorry if I'm seeming nosy sugar cube, but did Hearth, return her feelings?" Apple Bloom asked with more than subtle interest in the subject.

Cotton Wood, joking for the first time since arrival and departure, "Heh, knowing Hearth as a Colt, he would have had no idea she or anypony else had a crush on him unless they spelled it out word for word."

"Hehe, ironically your right Cotton. Supposedly handsome Stallion has trouble with mares simply because he can see every emotion except love... Lucky bastard that that's the only trouble he has with mares."

"Gale, hehe remember Phoenix?" Cotton seeing Gale's discomfort, took it as a yes and continued, "Gale and I were at the local bar and he hit on a mare he didn't know was a stallion until he turned around and, realizing it was HIM he was hitting on, slowly backed away and eventually sprinted towards the door!"

"Lil awkward for ya feller?" Storm said giving a light smile at the stallion who was grimacing.

"You bet sir! Cotton you can hold off on the stories about our travels for now, we need to find a place to stay."

"Y'all ain't staying at the hospital?" Asked the farm mare.

"Naw, we've been put in containers already. Finding out we weren't contagious, we were let loose."

"You ponies seem decent, and anypony who is a friend of Hearth's is a friend of our families! You can sleep in the barn. But stay away from my daughter, HAHA both my daughters, y'all hear me? Nectars recovering at the farm by the way sweet pea, her color wasn't as drained as badly as the others so they cut her loose to the farm while we were visiting Hearth."

"...It'll be great to see her again Daddy, don't you think?"

"Bucking right it will be!"

Trotting in surprised silence at the two farm ponies proposition, Gale finally came to wits. "Thank you so much sir! And do not worry, not in our character. We've seen too much of the ocean of sadness to add anymore as it is."

Nodding his head to the pair of adventurers, Storm looked forward and smiled. "Here's the road to the farm! Follow us."

Starting down the lengthy dirt road with white fencings lined parallel to the road, for the first time in months, the gray stallions started to gallop along with the two kind farm ponies.

* * *

_A flashing light appeared late at_ _night in the mystery hero stallion's room._

_A pony approached the bedside, and looked down at the stallion looking nonchalant, yet content in some way._ "... Given up so much with so little care of his own life... You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save ponies you had never heard, seen, or felt before... You have heart pony, selflessness... No... Your life has much more prospects to pursue... You did not deserve this to happen... Yet I sense in your dieing mind, no regret or anger at anything... Remarkable... Now then, time to awake... My son..."

_Putting the ponies horn to the coma ponies horn, a blinding light flashed. The mystery pony disappeared, but the pony with the attatched regulation machines, took a sharp intake of breath and opened his eyes for a quick few moments before collapsing back into darkness._

* * *

Awaking in a hay stack, Gale groggily rubbed his eyes with his hooves, and sat up.

"Real heavy sleepers y'all are, ain't ya?"

Looking over, Gale saw a mare he had barely had the chance to see last night.

She was a beautiful mare with a purple coat and a red mane, like her sister's. With golden eyes like her father's, it made an intimidating, yet intriguing look to Gale. These were the colors he assumed she had of course, grayish, since she had been absorbed by the monsters as well, but later than he and Cotton had been. As well as a cutie mark of dual neon colored hoops. Nectar, that was her name.

"Heh, yup. Slept for 2 months, then I wake up and spend the next night sleeping as well? Ironic as buck, am I right?"

Sizing up the gray Pegasus before her, she decided to dignify this with a response.

"Got that right. Mommas made breakfeast if y'all want to join us. Ehh, if u want to wake him from whatever sleep stage THAT is of course."

Looking at his friend Cotton on the neighboring hay pile, he noticed he had a blissful smile and drool coming out of his upside down muzzle.

"Yeah, he's always been a heavy sleeper, but wow."

Finally getting a giggle out of the ironed mare before him, they looked at each other for a few incredibly awkward moments.

"Err, I best be along. Hope y'all join us for breakfast!"

With the mare leaving the barn, Gale whished he had said something to keep talking to her. She fascinated him with her serious attitude, but humorous words.

Shaking his head from the daydreaming, he focused on the scary task ahead of him. Waking the sleeping gentle giant.

Gale first tried cadences. They worked needless to say.

"AHH! What the buck Gale! You did this on travels too... Where did you even get those damn things?!"

"Heh, trade secret Cotton. Now get up! We've got a long day ahead of us buddy! Stretching our hooves and getting a little exercise, I wonder if I can still fly as fast as I could before... Well you know."

"... Of course. Where should we go first?"

"The Blooms have made us breakfeast. Lets go eat!"

With Cotton grumbling something about the abuse of innocent sleeping ponies, we hungrily galloped out the barn.

* * *

"Wh-where?"

Peering around the room from his perch in the bleach white sheets over him, Hearth saw beeping machines pulsating with heart beats he suspected were his own. The walls were bright blue alabaster and the floor was concrete tiles alternating diagionally from black to white like hospitals do.

Looking down, he saw little wires with suckers attached to the skin on his chest under his coat. Must've been what was telling the machines information about his internals. He had a very fast heartbeat.

"...I, I'm alive... YAH BUCKING HOO!"

The last thing he could recollect was him accepting the death that was sure to come. He was a dead pony trotting.

"I'm at a hospital obviously. C'mon Hearth lets go freak out some doctors! For the dead pony is alive and well."

Struggling to get up, Hearth used his hooves to climb out of the bed.

*THUMP*

Hitting the cold floor hard, jolted his synapses a moment. Completely snapping him awake.

Quickly rising off the floor, Hearth felt good. Better than death any day in his opinion. Slowly moving towards the door, it felt like there were tremendous weights attatched to his hooves.

After moving for what felt like hours to the now exhausted pony, he reached the door.

Doors in the hospital were out in double door fashion like the things you see in an old Texan saloon scene, making it easy to push open.

Seeing the door open, a mare rushed behind the door, not seeing the stallion yet.

"Doctor! How strange, I didn't see you walk in there. Would you like help with him, or have you decided what to do so soon?"

Smiling, Hearth decided to mess with the concerned nurse. Never can get too tired to have a laugh.

"Hrrmm, my dear. I-"

"Nurse! Why are you talking to that door? Last time I checked, the Saragaunts haven't been made into housing produces!" Shouted a pony he could tell was a old stallion from the tone. At least the doctor had fun messing with the nurse.

"D-doctor! I was talking to you!... But if you're there, then who's running diagnostics of his condition!"

"A visitor maybe? Have you seen anypony trot in there?" Seeing the nurse shaking her head, he yelled at the mystery figure, "Hey you! What clearance do you have for my patient!"

Pouting that he hadn't had fun messing around with the nurse, he decided the gig was up.

"Doctor," stepping out of the doorway facing the two ponies, "You best be careful. If I am to leave you a good review, you should be nice to your patient, don't you think?"

* * *

**Yes, I know this chapter wasn't as long as the others, but wanted to make more room for next chapter, or else this one would've been one whopper of a Chapter! Besides, I like cliffhangers. BURN IN ANXIOUSNESS! :)**


	9. Drinks, Mobs, And Rewards

**Eh, kinda liking this multi-perspective thingy but this is the last one I plan on doing for awhile.**

* * *

"Hey Blooms, this is some good chow you got here!" Gusty announced through a mouthful of a special recipe of Ground Bloom's.

"Dearie, slow down there! And yes Gale, peaches and tomaters mixed tastes pretty good in that hay roll ain't it?"

"Heh, if Hearth was with us there's no doubt he'd be telling me to watch it, there's plenty of young mares left to let myself go..."

The mention of his name brought a veil of silence upon the wooden table with two makeshift chairs made of bundles of wood from the barn for the (Recovering) gray stallions.

"... I can't believe he did all THAT for me, just cause he was asked to help... All for me, if I hadn't gotten captured that day by the trees, then maybe, maybe..." Nectar said after a long period of silence.

"Y'all know he did it not just for you, but for everypony too. It was his choice to come along Nectar, so don't even be thinking for an apple picking minute that you're the cause of him, we'll y'now..." Whispered to her sister beside her, giving Nectar a comforting hug.

"Sweet Peas, for the short time I've known that stallion, I can tell that he's courageous when he needed to be, and that he's the luckiest bastard I've ever met in my entire life. He WILL get out of this coma, Celestia, Luna, and Twilight willing." Storm said with the utmost certainty.

"... Thank you folks so much. We loved him like a brother from the orphanage. He acted as a leader to us, loved us, played with us, cheered us up, and told us what he would do in our situation. This surprisingly worked out a lot more times than you think it would. Gale and I appreciate the respect you have for him, for who he really was under that thick coat of his." Cotton said with, touchingly so, a tear in his eye.

More silence bombarded the meal unrelentingly, nopony even went so far as to touch their food.

"Ugh, seriously you ponies? If you were trying to honor MY memory, you would be jumping around drinking cider and meeting new mares and making families! Not this load of buffalo manure!"

Not daring to breathe, much less move, the family heard an impossible voice come from the doorway. Apple Bloom working up the largest amount of Hope, peered in the doorway.

Hearth. It was_** BUCKING HEARTH!**_

"It, can't be, it CAN'T BE!" Shouted Gale at the almost spectral figure in the doorway.

"What? I'm sorry did I miss something?" Giving a large, taunting smile Hearth stepped towards the table.

Pandemonium, pure pandemonium is the only way to describe what happened.

"HEARTH!" The ponies cried while converging on him with noogies from his best friends, pats on the back from the old grey stallion, tears of joy from Nectar and Ground Bloom.

But one presence was missing. Apple was standing stalk still watching the scene before her.

While all ponies backed away, with gargantuan smiles on their muzzles, Apple trotted up to him and looked him in the bright red eyes with hers. A hard stern look in hers. And a nervous scared look in his.

"..."

Silence for a few moments while the other ponies watched with fear and curiosity at Apples display.

*SMACK*

A loud sound echoed from her hoof against his face.

"I WAS SO AFRAID HEARTH! AND YOU ALMOST LEFT ME, AFTER THAT?!"

"Apple? What the bu-"

Hearth's words were cut off as she pressed her muzzle against his in a passionate kiss, allowing her tongue to wrestle for control over his mouth. Bringing her hooves over his neck in a tight embrace, Hearth ended it by shoving her off his face.

"A-Apple?!" Hearth exclaimed at the unexpected display of emotion in front of the now O mouthed ponies that had watched, too stunned to react.

"... But I bucking missed you sugar cube." Apple finally said with a soft smile on her lips.

"SWEET PEA?! W-WHAT THE?!" Shouted a now awake Storm angrily at the daughter who just went at it with a colt in front his very face.

"Sorry Daddy, but I had to get that off my chest. It's been awhile coming now."

The two gray ponies were snickering at the display of the astonished face of their colt-hood friend until Hearth realized who they were.

"Cotton and Gale?! That thing got you too huh? Well your one and only friend, managed to kill one! What do you think of that?"

"Buddy, when you went to sleep, we went above ground and slaughtered the remaining three completely. So don't consider yourself the heavy weight fighting champ against immobile trees eh?" Gale replied with a haughty smile.

"My good friend, it has been too long since we last communed. Traveling with just one of the personalities whittles down the endurance of the patientest of the pony kind."

Smiling at his two old best friends, "Looks like 3/4 of the personalities are back together! You Stals' know where Silk went off to?"

"Buddy, never ask about another mare when one just tangled tones with yah, if you get my drift. HEHEHEHE!" The two laughing stallions in front of the slightly redder than red stallion, who was for the first time, not laughing at a joke.

Seeing their friend's disturbed face Cotton corrected, "What Gale MEANT to say was, no. We haven't heard from her, and that it is very humorous you asked this question after making out with that mare over there. Blushing now."

Storm was narrowing his eyes at his daughter, who was now hiding her flushed face behind her Stetson hat.

"*Sigh* Ok, changing this idiotic subject, how'd you Stallions get stuck in that place?"

"Well, Cotton smelled some dumb herb thingy, and ran into the woods. I followed and one thing led to another and POOF! Pony al'e lunch. That was two entire months ago... Kinda creepy to think we've been like you described. Zombified."

"Ok Hearth translation for that last bit, thank you for saving us and the other ponies. For we would've been there awhile longer."

"Hmm, Gale. When did you start making jokes? I remember you being the levelheaded one like Silky way back then!"

"Well Hearth, to be honest? Mares."

Hearth gave him a, 'are you bucking kidding me' look until finally cracking up.

"See?! This is the Hearth I knew! I bet you could laugh at your death."

"Heh, sorry to tell you this, but the last thing I said before accepting my for certain death was, "Tell Nectar to follow in the hoof steps of her big sister and she would be just fine."

Deciding to leave out the part about saying goodbye to Apple Bloom so early. Usually he wouldn't hide something like that from friends but due to her just kissing him so passionately, he decided it best to leave out that little detail.

"... Thank you. Hearth was it?"

"Yup! You must be Nectar. Look just like your sister besides the coat."

"Normally I would take that as a compliment. But due to the fact you just, you know, I'll keep a distance, thank you very much!"

"Lady Twilight no ones ever going to let this go are they." Looking around the room he saw ponies shaking their heads slowly. "That's what I thought."

"Well, you could be famous for worse things. Like actually have started to take her upstairs to-"

"Gale, shut your muzzle please in the respectful company of this family!" Cotton harshly interrupted Gale.

"Hehe... Yeeaaah I guess..."

"Anyway Hearth dearie, when did you wake? We just prayed to the princesses and poof you were there!" Ground said with Storm nodding in approvement to the question.

"I swear on Twilight's crown I have no clue! I remember, just somepony for a fraction of a second, then I'm waking up. Freaked out the doctors this morning that's for sure! Hehe. But I got no fun out of it, just a big old being strapped back in a bed and being tested until I was released. First thing I do is come here, and you all are moping over me! Pathetic every single one of you. Have fun with life, cause deaths coming to us all."

"Ooook didn't need the sermon but that's actually pretty cool. Did you recognize the shady dude?

"Nope. Complete mystery."

"Huh, well I think we've put up more than enough of a show for the kind Blooms. Sorry for you seeing the drama between us, just been awhile." Cotton apologized.

"We understand y'all, we feel the same way for our little Nectar Bloom! If it wasn't for y'all eating breakfast I'd be hugging and kissing her all day!"

"Ugh mom. Really?" Said a now slightly blushing mare with rolling eyes.

"Hehe, well thanks Blooms. But we've been enough of a bother as we could possibly be. So me and my newfound buddies will head out." Hearth said with a sad smile.

"Are you Colts sure? For this farm is now as much a home to Hearth and his friends as it is to us. For we owe you so much more!" Storm said snapping out of his, 'I'm gunna skin my daughter alive' phase.

"Naw, besides we need to find our own places to stay! Hit the town. Get to know the ponies here. You all have been an experience worth telling, that's for sure. But I won't be a burden off a debt you don't owe me. Forget it all, for your family has saved my life. It's only right I saved one of yours." Hearth replied with his signature crooked grin.

* * *

So waving goodbye to their hosts, the three stallions departed at a gallop down the dirt road towards town.

Gusty Gale of course taking the opportunity to stretch his wings and zoom at unreal speeds up in the sky twirling circles over the heads of the two sour faced stallions below.

"Celestia he is a complete showoff now isn't he?"

"Yes, he started getting better around the time we left for our journey. A few masters of flight showed him a thing or two along the way as well. I would say I wish you came with us, but if you had we might still be in that awful place. Only with you joining us."

"Heh, he sure has changed from the shy colt I knew at the orphanage. He used to only talk to Silk! I can't believe he evolved from that state."

"Yes, he has gotten more sociable since his arousement in mares."

"Haha, between me and you? I thought he would turn into a stallion digger."

"Really? Haha, glad to know I wasn't the only one. No, but he really has been quite smitten with that mare Nectar."

"Thought so... Them both would be a cute couple in my opinion."

"How is a couple cute? Aren't they just coupled?"

"Ugh, I wish you didn't think with your brain so much Cotton. It would make things ALOT easier to explain to you brainiac."

"I suppose... Ah we're here finally!"

Looking away from Cotton at the road, he realized their trek had reached its conclusion. A village with different colored houses. Mares and stallions wandered the streets, glancing over the vendors carts and wares.

Smells and sounds bombarded him first thing he walked through the set up sales.

"Get your fresh peaches here! Freshen up your next meal with a little flavor!" Peaches that smelled delectable wafted into his nostrils.

"Parsley and Kail here for sale! Toppings as well!" Smells of exotic foods hurdled at his eyes, leaving them stinging and blinking away tears.

"How are you holding up Cotton, cause I'm dieing over here!"

"Same... Here..." Through deep breaths trying not to breathe. In any other case scenario he'd find the puffy cheeked friend humorous, but it wasn't as funny when it was happening to himself.

Finally escaping into a square of sorts, he was met with his first mob.

"OMG THERE HE IS! HE SAVED MY BABY GIRL AND HER DOG!" Looking over at the frantically pointing mare, he was met with an emotion he had not felt for a good half-day. Fear.

He was swarmed by adult mares and stallions alike, asking for autographs and a few weird times, proposals or asking to make babies. (Even the Stallions! Talk about What the Buck!)

Being given a pen by one of the mares and holding up a notebook, he decided to flow with it. He hadn't ever been worshipped in a town before, and he didn't exactly hate it.

"Ehh, sure autograph for you! And you! And you! And no I do not want to give you my babies, sir?"

He was rescued by a pair of hooves reaching through the crowd and pulling him into a nearby building.

Turning towards the graspers, he saw a grounded Gale, and Cotton shaking their heads exasperatedly.

"Phew! Thanks Cotton and Gale, I needed that."

"Geez, you seem to be quite the golden boy, aren't ya Hearth?" Teased Gale.

"No problem friend! I think we are in a hotel of some sort." Cotton said looking around the room.

No later than he stated this, a Unicorn mare appeared in the booth across the room.

They were in a fairly large room with a bright red carpet covering the floor. The walls were painted a bright yellow and had various photos on the wall. Some were in gray, indicating old heritage of the hotel, while others were colored and seemed recent. There were two stairwells leading up and turning at a corner about 25 stairs up, with exquisite designs of ivy ingrained into metal railings. And a wide booth painted yellow with a business counter with scrolls and writing utensils, smack dead in the middle of the stairwells.

"Hello! Welcome to the Stalton hotel! We serve despite coat tone, no matter what. Unlike other hotels who are coatist and-! Oh Celestia are you, Hearth?!"

Inspecting the Unicorn mare further, he saw she was in her early 20s, had a yellow coat like the walls with a neon yellow mane and strangely, gray eyes. She had a cutie mark of a filled out scroll.

"Ummm, awkward. But yes."

As soon as the words left his muzzle the mare smiled brightly and made an odd *Squee* sound.

"I can't believe this, your in my hotel, my, HOTEL! Thank you so much sir! You rescued my twin brother from that creature. He's recovering, but at work. And I know he will be thrilled to meet his savior. Is there anything at all I can help you stallions with?"

"Yes actually, me and my friends Gale and Cotton here would like to purchase a room here if that wouldn't be too much of a bother. We will be here awhile, I warn you. It gets crazy when I rent rooms."

"Haha, of course it will. You stallions and your parties... You deserve it though. Of course you can have a room! It will be 3 bits a night, 25 for a months stay. We don't get much business here anyhow..." Sensing sadness at her last comment. But she snapped back to her smiling self instants later, and motioning to the left stairwell, "Here! Come with me and I'll show you stallions to your rooms."

Following the chipper mare up the stairwell, Hearth saw around the corner a hallway leading to the other stairwell. Only two floors, okay. He didn't want a plush and cushy hotel anyways.

Stopping at room at room 4 on the left side of the hallway, Gale, Cotton, and I were given keys with **Room 4** etched into the tiny little marble stone holding the keys through a hole and chain.

"There are your room keys, there is frozen food in the fridge. To eat put the meal in the microwave and just press the button circled to start the cycle. Takes about 15 minutes. My brother gets home around 5:30 from his new wood chopping job. It would make his day to meet you and I hope you can meet him. Make yourselves comfortable and, you stallions have a good stay!" The mare told him.

Hearth and Gale, watching her first trot down the hallway, Cotton decided to unlock the door.

Stepping inside the room, he realized everything in the hotel was yellow. The bed sheets, pillows, and wall and ceiling paint. There was a wool carpet that was yellow too.

Trotting into a separate room there was a white tiled floor kitchen with a refrigerator standing facing the wooden table with 4 chairs. A microwave on the counter. Wooden droors were filled with silverware and in the cabinets above the counter, he found ceramic white cups and plates. Around 5 of each. Looking at the clock attached the cabinet he saw it was 12:30. Lunch time.

"Pretty nice, if I do say so myself. Oooh! Look Hearth! Your old favorite meal, roasted Sunflowers!" Gale said after opening the refrigerator door and looking awestruck at a wide variety of frozen entrees and dinners.

"DIBS! How bout you Cotton!?" Hearth instantly replied before calling Cotton.

Trotting into the wide kitchen, Cotton took one look at the dinners and wrinkled his muzzle.

"No thanks you Stals, but I think I'll have a herb or two instead of these unhealthy excuses for food."

"Haven't changed at all, have you Cotton?" Hearth smiled at the big food mentor.

"Ehh, whatever Hearth. More for us right? I get the petunia patties!"

* * *

Not realizing how hungry Hearth had been, he inhaled his warm up lunch in about 10 seconds flat. Letting out a boisterous belch to assert his eating dominance to the astounded faces of the two others.

"Hmm, it appears coma patients have increased hunger and noticeable manner downgrades." Cotton said, getting as near a joke as possible for him.

"Hmm, for once I completely agree with Cotton. Chilax Flame-boy."Gale calling him his old orphanage nickname.

"Hehe, whatever. I'm going out until the twin bro comes back, you coming?" He asked the two still politely nibbling stallions.

Gale smiled while scrunching his eyes, "Naw, I'm going to check out the TV of this hotel and make sure it's working."

Cotton stared at the pathetic excuse of Gale before responding, "No thanks Hearth. SOMEPONY woke me up early this morning before I received the proper 8 hours of sleep necessary to function."

"Taking a nap." Gale translated.

"Really?! What if there's another mob?"

"Use your magic to push 'em aside and make a break for it."

Taking the first logical advice Gale gave him, he left the apartment trotting down the stairs, already charging up his horn.

* * *

Surprisingly, he had escaped the hotel without drawing attention. The mob had obviously assumed he had teleported and dispersed to go back to their task before the pandemonium.

Sneaking like a ninja through the cobblestone streets, he managed to reach a Cider drinking tavern.

"Good, I could always use a hangover." Mumbling this to himself, he pushed open the double-decker doors and trotted inside.

There was a scrawny brown coated, blue maned Pegasus bartender leaning against the counter watching hoofball. The game was the Goofballs vs. The Red Socks. There was multiple pool tables and a ping-pong court. As well as more gray photos of groups of ponies, all gray colored. This town obviously had alot of history. Unapparent from the look of the seemingly new town.

There was alot of commotion from recovering gray ponies drinking to their now well-being.

Seeing the recovering ponies warmed his soul. And for the first time since having his first fiend, Silky Sensations, he had a feeling of pride.

"Hey barkeep! A cider filled to the brim if you please!" I said thirstily tapping the counter.

"Coming up sonny!"

Turning around, the barkeep looked at me with a smiling face and pulled out a glass and jug of cider from beneath the counter.

"So, you seem to be a traveler. How's the town been treating ya?"

Stereotypes were right about barkeeps craving conversation, apparently. Whether for a tip, or for the Tartarus of conversing, he suspected. Can't keep him hanging can I? I'm the friendly one!

"Hmm, odd honestly. How's life been for the town?"

"Heh, it's been better than ever! Ponies are returning from missing posters. Turns out these monsters called Saragaunts took them and were feeding off their dreams and goals! Freaky ain't it? But some stallion saved them all by walking in the very den of the mothers lair, and killed her. I hear he was in a coma for a day because of the magic use, and that he should be dead. But I'm glad he's not dead really, we need a hero in these threatening times. Other Empires are threatening the princesses, and war seems inevitable."

"Hmm..." This fascinated him. Hearth had not heard or his particular rumor before, and he wondered how he had never heard of this terrifying detail.

"Alright, here you go. That'd be 1 bit please!"

Handing over the bit, thanked the bartender, and picked up his mug with his magic and began slurping while deep in thought.

Hearth had visited outside many times, almost all were awful. Ruled by one Pompous pony who considered themselves gods over their people. Honestly? Hearth didn't believe Celestia or Luna or even Twilight the Mega Mage were Gods. He believed there was one God out there somewhere. But he really didn't care too much about religious views.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Looking behind him, still holding the cider cup in his telekinetic grip. He saw a messenger Pegasus pony with a red bandana over a brown maned, green coat. He was a young chap, maybe 12 or 13. With a scroll and red ribbon tied into a neat bow in the middle of the scroll. Bearing the insignia of a 4-winged Alicorn in front of a glowing orange sun with open white eyes.

"I bear a message from the Upper Classponies at the Liturgy of Canterlot."

"Err, thanks? Who is this message from if I may ask?"

"Why, the president of course! Silky Sensations!"

Hearing that name sent shock waves through my spine. She was president of the upper classponies LITURGY?! This was a magnificent honor only given to the supposed smartest and wisest pony in all of Canterlot, besides the princesses of course. They decided what laws are passed, and enforce the laws with an iron hoof. They were placed as royalty, even if they weren't born into it.

"S-Silky Sensations?" I whispered out the words, sure I was looking crazy to the little Colt.

"Err, yes sir. So here you go, and Shadow Boom, AWAY!" The young Colt announced as he gave me the scroll while at the same time bounding out the double doors.

I didn't know how he knew I was Hearth, but I didn't care. Wasting no time, I stretched the message out with my magic and read,

_Dear Hearth Fire,_

_Our Liturgy of ponies has taken notice of your deed. We will hold a celebratory festival in the Royal Castle Grounds as of tomorrow at precisely 5:00 P.M. in the afternoon. You are the main the event. You may make a speech if you wish, and can take any friends and family you choose. You are to be rewarded for your bravery and willingness to help other ponies. Please attend. Show the insignia on this scroll to the guards and they will allow you into the party. Many thanks to you, Silky Sensations._

I couldn't believe it. I could not believe it. The PRINCESSES were rewarding ME?!_  
_

Leaving a tip for the keep, I quickly dismounted my seat and moved to the double doors, pushing them open. I wanted to go meet with my friends at the hotel, but the crowd of ponies that had seen the royal messenger go inside, had a crowd built up outside the saloon.

"There's Hearth! The message was for him!" One pony cried.

Grabbing me and hoisting me onto their backs, they started moving towards a large building I suspected was the Town Hall. Outside, was a wooden platform with a gray coated, and humorous pink haired, Earth Pony stallion with oval lensed glasses and a small smile was waiting outside the town hall on the platform.

Being thrown on onto the platform by the crazy ponies, I landed on all fours and stumbled forwards, stopping before the stallion.

Announcing in a loud voice the stallion heralded, "Citizens of Ponyville! This pony has saved most of your loved ones, your friends, and your family! Doing so, he nearly sacrificed himself to save them! He went into a deep coma where the doctors said there was no chance of him making it! Yet this morning, he awoke! And walked out of the hospital smiling and instantly going to a saved fillie's house and comforting her! This stallion has true heart! And for all these reasons, I award Hearth Fire with this medallion of bravery and heroics!"

He had a very good announcing voice, he had to admit despite his appearance.

Trotting up to me, he placed two medallions around my neck with his hooves. One had an image of a pony with a spear facing fearlessly a giant Boar. While another showed a pony standing over three shivering fillies and colts, facing a taken aback dark stallion figure.

Then reaching down and taking my hoof in his, raised it over our heads. The crowd of 1,500 (Some were recovering gray, but most were normal.) or so ponies in the Town Square erupted in applause. Normally I would be strutting my stuff to the crown and going along with it, but not this time. He hasn't done it alone, he hadn't done this on his lonesome. In fact, he would've been choked out by that gray pony that was under the mother's control if it was not for Storm and Apple. This wasn't right.

Standing up to the podium, he looked out over the crowd and yelled in as loud a voice as I could muster, "Thank you citizens of Ponyville, but I would never had made it back without my friends, the Blooms. They are the ones that saved me in the tunnels and also the ones who encouraged me and drove me to save the ponies. I would never have been able to complete this task without them, and for that I wish for them to be recognized as well."

Hearth spotted the Blooms, who were in an apple cart vendor with now surprised looks on their faces. The only members of the family who weren't there was Apple and Nectar, probably out apple bucking at the farm.

They had surprised faces, obviously not expecting him to dedicate part of his rewards to them. Pssht of course he would! He ain't one those award takers.

The crowd converged and picked up Storm and Ground. Picking them up onto their backs like they did to him. It LOOKED like fun, but he knew from recent events that it wasn't.

Being thrown on the stage, he levitated Ground into a gentle landing, and Storm just flew down onto the stage.

"Son, you really didn't have to do this, you were the one who gave it all away! You deserve the awards!"

"I know, but I would never have gotten far enough to hit that tree without ya, so you should get, partial credit. Here, take this one, this one with the Boar? Didnt like it anyhow. So you'll be helping me again! Come on, I don't want a giant Boar on my beautiful red coat, now do I?"

With a laugh from the crowd at the talk, Storm rolled his eyes, smiling as he used his magic to put the ugly Boar around his stormy gray neck.

"Ponyvilleians! The Bad Flanks are here! Party tonight and celebrate the gainings of ones you thought were lost! Drink, be merry, and live your lives!" Hearth announced holding up the hooves of both the gray pony and Storm, who was holding up Ground's hoof.

The crowd broke into applause and laughs, finally dispersing to go do exactly what he told them to do.

The gray pony laughed at the rapidly moving along crowds, "Heh, Stallion, you sure are going to cause a lot of trouble to brew. But at a stress release for the town. Thank you, again for your deeds. You do not know me, I'm the mayor of this town. Mantles been passed down from generation. Names Gray-Mane, ironically that's wrong. But I used to have gray hair in my childhood. So it's not THAT inaccurate I guess..."

"Well thank you for this Gray. I really was surprised at this little get together. You shouldn't have!"

Storm had been looking at him the entire time, finally speaking up, "... Hearth. Thank you for mentioning our family to them. Our sales I suspect will be much better for awhile. You keep doing us favor over and over again, without being asked. What kind of pony are you?"

Looking over at the smiling married couple, he felt like he finally fit in. Like they were his family...

NO. They weren't and don't think like that, they just like you because of what you've done. Probably just suckering up to you to get more favors. This thought hurt, but it was more likely, ouch.

"One of a kind, dear Blooms. One of a kind. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my room. It's, 5:15 according to that clock on the town hall and I promised somepony that I'd meet them at 5:30. Bye!" Jumping off the stage, he felt a little sad that they weren't his family. But he got over it soon enough looking forward to talking to his friends about Silk.


	10. Into the Rabbit Hole

**Listening to Miley Cirus on the radio, so forgive me if I seem angrier with this chapter. It's just, UGH!**

* * *

"Saw your little speech off the TV buddy! Nice. Touching. Inspiring, honestly. Oh, don't wake up Cotton, he's out like a log."

This is how Hearth was greeted walking into the hotel room. He couldn't wait! They wouldn't believe where Silky was!

"Too bad, wake him up Gale. I have gigantic news!"

"It better be good, and if you blame me for being the only one wanting to wake him up, murder and death will come. I promise you that." Gale glared at him, wondering about the possibility of this being just a big sick joke, before grabbing his cadences out of his backpack.

*PSHSHSHSHSHS* went the loud instrument into Cotton's ear.

"AHHHH! Not the herbs! ... Go buck yourself Gale that wasn't funny you little runt!"

Holding his hoof up to his muzzle to stifle laughter, Hearth decided to save Gale.

"My bad Cotton, but that was me, not Gale. Even though he did take it to an extreme... But anyhow, I have big news!"

Opening up the letter, I read it out loud to the increasingly anxious Stallions laying on the bed.

"WHOLI MANURE! She's the president of the _LITURGY?! _Geez, she's been faring just well for herself hasn't she? Hehe, anyhow, who you taking?" Gale said motioning towards himself with his hooves.

"Why I say, this IS quite the extraordinary journey from orphan, to upper classpony, isn't it? Please bring me Hearth! I would dearly love to see my old dear friend again!"

"Of course, both of you are coming. I can bring anypony I want, remember? I'm also thinking of inviting the Blooms. They deserve to be commended too! Besides, I think you want to talk to Nectar anyway, right Gale?" Hearth announced smiling nefariously at the blushing light blue Pegasus on the bed.

"You know, if you want. Go ahead I don't care about Nectar anyway."

"Ohh, Gale! When we tell her that, I wonder how crushed she will be? Tremendously probably." Cotton mocked, along with a snickering Hearth.

"... You Stals are burning in Tartarus. Hear me?!" Said a very flustered Gale.

Hearth chuckled at the display, until he heard a

*CRASH*

come from the kitchen.

Galloping into the kitchen he was taken aback by the sight he saw.

A little Colt had crawled through the vents to get into the hotel. He was around 7 years of age he suspected. He was a Unicorn with a bone white coat and light green mane. His eyes were a shade of Violet.

This struck him as odd because usually the eyes took on the color of the coat, but there seemed to be an exception to every rule nowadays.

"Uhh, hi. Mr. Hearth? You're the best! I trailed you back from the award ceremony!" He said with a guilty smile on his muzzle.

"Yo Hearth, what was it? Oh Luna, who's he?" Gale with a bewildered Cotton questioned looking over each of his shoulders at the small Unicorn.

"Looks like I got a fan! What's your name little buddy?" Hearth said with a small smile at the Colt. He was warmed by the Colts endurance just to see him.

"I-I'm Bone Saw sir!"

Ok, creepy name. But he seemed normal enough. Just a little enthusiastic to see him.

"... Uh okay I'm throwing him out Hearth. Creeps me out." Gale said walking towards the little Colt and picking him up with his hooves.

"You're my hero Hearth!" Exclaimed a struggling Colt in Gust's hooves.

"Hold the, uhh, just stop. Don't make me cuss at you in front of a Colt! He seems alright Gale. Let him stay. I got time to talk with him." Hearth said, smiling at the now awestruck Colt.

"R-really?! Thank you so much sir!" Gale, looking abashed by his handling of the behavior of the excited Colt. Setting him down, he trotted over to the fridge to look for something to eat silently.

"Thank you so much again sir! I want to be just like you sir!" Said a brightly smiling Colt.

"Please little buddy, call me Hearth. Not this sir stuff. I'm not exactly the most formal pony ever born. So treat me like your new friend, which I am by the way, hehe."

"...Awesome. Hearth where did you-"

"Hold all questions until the bedroom ok? Don't want to bug these big hungry stallions with intelligent conversation yet. C'mon lets go talk in the living room." Picking up a squealing happy Colt in his telekinetic grip and trotting past a confused Cotton into the hallway, and then into the living room with the beds and TV.

* * *

"And, that's how it all went down." Hearth ended the story with a intently listening Bone Saw on the opposite side of the bed.

"Wow, you sure are brave si- Hearth! Will I be like you when I grow up?" Asked a curious voice from the opposite side of the bed.

"No." Bone frowned until Hearth continued, "You'll be better and braver, stronger than I ever could be when you're older."

Haha! Thought I was being a buzzkill did ya? You should know better! I'm bucking Hearth Fire for Celestia's sake!

"Hehe, thanks. Oh my gosh! It's 5:30! I promised my mom I'd be back by 5:15! Gotta go! Thanks again si- Hearth. I'll do my best to be like you!" Said Bone Saw springing off the bed and rushing to the door.

"Hold it!" Hearth shouted, turning around, Bone looked concerned before curiously watching as Hearth pulled over a notebook and pen, scribbling on it for a few seconds, before handing it to him.

"Here you go! My signature and apology for keeping you here so long. You won't get in any trouble now! Haha! Give your mother my regards."

Laughing, Bone Saw galloped out of the room quickly rushing down the hallway.

"I've got to say. Hearth my friend, that was very kind of you." Cotton must've been watching from the hallway the entire time.

"Thanks, but it was a good kid. Still can't believe he went through all that just to see me. Haha. Anyway, it's good he left when he did. I promised the mare downstairs I'd say hello to her twin brother. So I think I'll go see if he's here yet."

"Alright, me and Gale will make dinner for when you get back. Last pack of Roasted sunflowers though!"

Closing the door behind me with my magic, I casually walked down the hall. Stopping at the top of the stairwell, I heard strange noises that sounded like words being spoken down in the lobby.

"Where is he? Where is he! Speak you cowering mare!" Hissed a strange, serpentine voice. No, they did not put emphasis on the S like everypony thought they did.

"P-Please! I don't know anything! Just leave me alone!" Said a terrified squeak, the hotel mare.

"You're, LIEING!" A loud smash was heard, and a scream. He couldn't leave this mare to her demise. So, Hearth jumped out of his hiding place an into the stair well facing the monster. But it was no regular snake like he thought it was.

It was some sort of bucked up twisted hybrid of a pony

It had green scales in some places, while maroon tufts of fur in others. Half it's face was normal honey colored pupils and white filling, and half was snake-like with yellow slitted eyes. Only it's mane was just reptilian spikes going down its back. Instead of a tail, it had a large scaled spike ball on the end of a length of long scaly reptilian skin. It was like something out of a nightmare, only he knew he was living it.

"Ahhhhh, there you are. Come to the crying mare, how noble of you. Ok mare, get out!" He lashed out at the mare behind the counter, making her dive forwards to avoid the swipe. Using this momentum, she dived out the double door exit.

"What the buck are you supposed to be?! Cause it looks like your momma likes to buck with her pet lizard!"

Yo momma jokes, still never got old to him.

"Pony thinks he's funny, thinks he's the hero, well you're not! My family and father needed the energy from Mother Saragaunt to fuel our beings. To fuel our machines, to sleep, to feed, and to live in general. But that energies gone because of YOU!"

"Hey! There were ponie's lives being taken! I couldn't just let that happen! And your a selfish flank hole if you think that you and your families lives are worth the lives of 1,000s of ponies and animals!"

This was insane! How could the bucking lizard/stallion think he was right!?

"Their lives don't matter, but Father will destroy this land and its people, to make way for the new, improved ponies like me." He hissed out with a prideful smile, Hearth now saw he had canines like a jacked up vampony.

"Father? Who's that?"

"None of your concern! You won't live long enough to find out anyway!"

Snake Stallion obviously didn't want to talk anymore.

The creep jumped onto the booth, then the wall. He stuck to the wall like he had suckers attached to his hooves, this was getting weird. It leapt up onto the railing and rolled over around 10 steps down from Hearth.

Ok, incredible Speed? Check. Strong? Check. Am I dead? On the to-do list.

Jumping up 4 stairs at a time, it arched over Hearth ready to strike. When he finally snapped out of his, 'I'm so bucked.' Phase and jumped up at the monster, catching it off guard.

His hoof connected hard with the reptilian muzzle, sending it flying down the stairs. It saved itself by lodging it's spiky tail into the wall, completely destroying the yellow walls. But allowing it to swing around and stick to the wall with its suckerlike fingers.

"Hmm, you can take a hit can't ya lizzie?"

His response was only hissing at him. Ripping it's destructo ball out of the wall, it converged towards Hearth on the yellow wall at a frighteningly fast pace.

Ok, he didn't know if he could go another head on battle with this thing, that's for sure. He had only won because he caught it off guard. Hearth looked at the wall lizzie was traversing on, and thought of a plan.

Using his magic, Hearth ripped up the wallpaper the way the vile thing was running, setting a trap.

Too late did the serpony see what was going to happen. Right before it reached Hearth, he pulled away the wallpaper and wrapped him up into a cocoon like shape. Struggling in mid air, Hearth jumped at the figure and brought both his hooves down onto his back, slamming Lizzie down into the stairwell and rebounding him down the stairs.

Going too fast, the serpony slammed into the wall at the bottom of the staircase and echoing with a sickening, *CRACK* probably broke a few bones. That's all, he hoped anyway.

Quickly going down the stairs, he reached the groaning figure.

"Pathetic, c-coward. Not even facing me on equal grounds! Just using your pathetic magic tricks! You- Ouch!"

Hearth had kicked him sharply in the ribs to get him to shut up. normally he would make a joke or be a smart flank, but he wasn't in the mood.

"Shut the buck up, cause I think I wrapped this up nicely." Okay, maybe one little pun, but that was it. "Where is this Poppy of yours? Tell me Snake-Face."

"I, am not gonna tell you manure. When I get out, I'm going to break off your stallion hood!"

"Good luck with that, but two flaws. Flaw 1, here comes the fuzz."

Sure enough, he heard the beeping of a emergency device on the backs of the police ponies. The yellow Unicorn mare must've alerted them.

"And Flaw 2, your hooves are too small to be able to wrap around my stallion hood!"

* * *

The police had arrived shortly after, comprehending the villain who was only half awake from injuries. The doctor part of the police said 7 ribs were broken and his entire front left hoof had been fractured from being thrown down the stairs, unable to hold himself up.

All in all, he kicked some baddie flank.

The fuzz said he was being sent to Alcatrotz.

Alcatrotz was rumored to be unescapeable and was the largest prison complex in the world. The position of the prison was in a cloud stone castle above a forest with sharp branches that would shred through any attempt to leave by free-falling. Right now, it's populate of inmates was up to 5,000 occupants of the worst of the worst life had to offer.

He was reminiscing all these thoughts as he drifted off to sleep that night. Who was the father of Lizzie? What did it mean when it said it'd extinct the population and replace it with, whatever THAT was.

Half Pony, half Serpent. Hearth classified it as Serpony.

He would definently bring this event up tomorrow with the Liturgy. They had to know, and so did the Princesses. This event he knew WOULD happen unless something was done.

_The Elements Of Harmony_.

Hearth didn't know where these words came from, but they felt right.

He swung his legs out of his side of the bed, beside Gale, and slowly trotted to the door and creaked it open slowly, as to not make too much noise.

Quietly, he closed the door and marched down the hallway to the closest stairwell, the left one. He didn't know where he was going. But like the mystery words in his mind, it felt right for some odd reason he couldn't put his hoof on.

"Going somewhere, Hearth?"

Recognizing the voice of Cotton, his tense shoulders relaxed.

"Yes, just going for a walk to clear my head. The brisk night air might calm me down."

"... Of course. After the events of today, I don't blame you. Take as much time as needed."

He hated lieing to his friends. But again, he felt he needed to do this alone.

Walking out the front doors of the hotel, he felt a cold breeze go through his mane. Luna had risen half the moon high above in the sky. Acting as a night light to the town of Ponyville below.

The Blooms and his friends had flipped out at the news he told them of the intruder of the hotel. Hearth knew it was after him, that's who he was asking for. Little old Hearth.

Probably out for revenge of killing big Mama. But he had to kill her, to save the ponies and Nectar. They had it coming for a while. He was just the one that dealt the final blow.

What did she power besides the forest though? The Serpony had made it clear other things were living off the energy. Machines, his family. He must've been the father coming to kill him as payment for him killing Ma.

Did he have children? A wife? It's obvious he was a different species. But it sounded like he wasn't BORN of a different speciesism.

This Father character, was he really the father? Or creator? Splicing the DNA of a pony and a serpent of some sort. Something poisonous probably.

Was the subject willing to comply? Hearth didn't know. But he did know there were more of these ponies from a lizard Tartarus.

Clicking back into reality, Hearth saw a dark barked and dieing tree with windows in the branches. A house maybe? Why hadn't he seen this tree earlier upon arrival? Why had his mind taken him here of all places? Must've been a good reason for it though.

Deciding politeness was the best policy, he went up and knocked on the door loudly.

"Hello?"

No response, of course.

"It's abandoned Hearth! Why'd you bring me here?"

"How am I supposed to know! I'm just your brain!"

"Ugh your useless. So, just go inside I guess."

So his mind winning the verbal battle, he decided to walk in the creepy place.

Using his magic, he opened the door fast, seeing only darkness inside. Summoning a light ball with his horn, he walked into the literal tree house.

There were windows high up in the tree, and up in a little pocket space that was bare. There were empty shelves that lined the entire wall in front of him, and to the entire wall to the right.

"Whoo-Ee, this must've been one Tartarus of a library. But where did everything go?"

Deciding he should search the place at the top of the stairs first, he galloped up the stairs.

One window in the back. That was the only noticeable detail. Nothing else was there, he should go check downstairs. The only reason he even went up here was because stairs were pretty fun, and I don't care if I sounded like a little Colt right there.

*CREAK*

That came from downstairs.

"Hello!?" Hearth yelled at the moonlight glittering onto the floor illuminating the room. Nothing was there.

"Aww Tartarus no! I ain't thinking that was the house in the wind mystery pony! Get out here!" Hearth knew he heard that coming from the room. That could have been the house in the wind. But usually the pony mind would sort a bad situation into something less frightening to convince them they were going to be fine.

Usually this ended badly for them, as illustrated in every single horror movie ever made. And yet still ponies believed everything was going to be all right, when it wasn't.

Carefully stepping backwards, he heard a metallic click resonate behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw his rump had pushed some sort of secret pressure plate.

"Haha! Are you kidding me?! This is so illogical it's-"

*SHRU-KUNK*

The part of the bookshelf opposite of the door slapped sideways, showing a secret passageway into what looked like a portal.

"If you think I'm going to willingly throw myself in that thing, you're bucking crazy."

Turning around towards the door, a sucking sound started. He felt himself being pulled back towards the portal!

Dragging his hooves over to the side with the bookshelf, he grasped on with both front hooves as his rear ones lifted into the air.

This was insane! He couldn't hold... On... Much... Longer!

Unable to bear the strain on his muscles and the immense sucking coming from the portal, he flew through the air going face first into the teal colored portal.

* * *

Landing with a thud into brown dirt soil, Hearth felt nauseous. He wasn't one of those Unicorns that teleported everywhere. He had always stuck to his hooves and only reverting to magic when he was in danger, like with the Saragaunts or Lizzie.

Looking around with distorted vision, he saw he was in a grove of trees and trimmed bushes into shapes of angelic ponies.

The trees had ripe fruits of every color and shape, most being exotic. With his sensitive ears, he heard a creek running somewhere behind the bushes in front of him.

He smelled the relaxing whiff of flowers and fallen fruits that had cracked open and bled into the soil with their sweet liquids. He felt dreary and nonchalant, warm and fuzzy mixed in with his emotions. So warm and soft on the grass...

"Wh... Where the buck...?"

He could barely talk, or raise his hooves. He felt so secure, why not take a nap?

"Ya, like 5 minutes then... No. This isn't right, I won't wake up. Get up buddy, we're getting out of here." Hearth said once again to himself.

He felt his eyes drooping, so tired. All his energy was going to happy nappy land. Only it wouldn't be so happy waking up in the afterlife.

Shakily pushing himself to his hooves, he began to trot towards the stream. A splash of water would wake him up.

Pushing away the bushes, he confirmed there was a small stream running through a lush Riparean Area.

Sighing happily, he bent down to take a sip of the Chrystal clear water. Right as his lips were about to touch the water, the water rose up and wrapped around his berth and rose him into the air above the bushes in a water ball with a tiny air pocket where his muzzle was.

"Hmm, I thought you of all ponies would be more cautious than that, hero."

He was officially 100% awake now. Looking down and out of the water bubble he was in, he saw a violet Unicorn with a black wool coat over her flank. She had violet eyes and a multicolored Violet-Dark blue mane.

"Haha, by the look on your face, I can tell my first lesson has been taught to you."

Releasing the bubble over the stream, he fell through the air with a loud splash into the creek.

"W-who are you, you batty mare!" Wasn't he just a clever responder?

"Why, I think it's fairly obvious. Think Stallion, who has enough magical energy to teleport you around 350 kilometers to a castle and still have enough energy to cast a drowsy spell, along with picking a 133 pound stallion up in a water ball that weighed around 25 pounds? Do the math."

This actually threw him for a loop. It was this bucking crazy mare that had brought him here? Drowsy spell? That's what was making him so sapped of energy. And she was right, he couldn't pick up a pony in a ball that size even if he were fully rested, fed, and given an energy potion.

"Ok, immense amount of magical energy. You're no normal Unicorn. Only Alicorns have that kinda voodoo and..." Why was she wearing that coat? Unless... "Madam mare why do you wear that coat? It's not that chilly. Why don't you take it off and stay awhile." He felt so anxious, he now had a hypothesis to who this was, and he had called her batty.

Smiling at him, she levitated the black wool coat off her back. Revealing a pair of violet wings.

"Hello, Hearth. I am your ruler of all magic and harmony, Princess Twilight Sparkle. And I would like a few words with you, if you don't mind."

* * *

_Diary of Soul Heart_

_First day here, in this cavern of musk and filth. I can't think anymore through my rage and anger. I'm seeing red blots in my vision. I'm losing my mind, oh yes I am. The pain, TAKE IT AWAY! But this hideaway, nor death will deter me from my wish for power. I will own these lands, and buck this lands mares. I will conquer and behead these pathetic princesses and take back what was never theirs. My only wish is that I could see my wife's face once more before she departed from this world... And know that I have avenged her, and that my family will once more be whole, even if my wife can't join me, my son and daughter will. I KNOW they will, they must. For we are the last of our generation, and we will secure the next generation's future. With Creapona as my witness, amen._


	11. Tea Party!

**Thanks go to my PMs, really helped improve my thoughts. My thanks go to a buddy o' mine, seniorcopycat.**

* * *

I was without question, freaked out. I had been personally transported to Canterlot by none other than the princess of magic herself!

But by observing her, he couldn't tell if it was an honor, or death sentence. She was trotting straight backed, brisk, and eloquent. But he could sense a tenseness in her presence.

"Umm, hate to be a bother, Princess Twilight. But where are we going? We've been trotting for two minutes here in this garden! Whe-"

"Alright! I get it Hearth! You're tired! Now stop whining and I'll tell you." With me shutting up, and her giving me an amused side glance, continued, "I want to discuss you're deeds in the EverFree forest. I have good senses and something tells me that, how should I put it? Have you heard of the Elements of Harmony?" She asked as we opened a pair of double doors leading into a long hallway.

It had violet walls and ceiling, like Princess Twilights fur. There was no light in the hallway, just moonlight illuminating the hallways and casting away the darkness. Slowly trotting through the hallway with echoing hoofsteps, he confirmed there was opal white floor tiles.

"Yes, but only once from a... Friend of mine."

"Hm, well anyway that allows me to cut to the chase. I have seen you and your friends interact, and think you may hold the potential to fill in the original Elements reign 250 years ago... Such a long time ago since the safety of this land has been assured by the Elements. But, you may be able to change that."

"You're kidding, right Princess? Sure I did a good thing, but I really don't consider it Element worthy!"

"... Cutting yourself so short of all the potential you have in your soul. How Noble. But that is not all I am basing this off of. I can sense what is in big noggin of yours, so you don't have to try to convince me your a bad kind of pony. For I know your not. You care about your friends above yourself, and this is how the energy of friendship is kindled and fueled."

Arriving at a double door that was, you guessed it, purple. She pushed it open and motioned for him to follow with her angelic wings. Following her inside, he was surprised by the arrangement of the room.

Entire shelves were filled to the brim with books of varying size. Some were small and skinny while others were thick and bulky with amassed pages being pressed down by the pure weight. There was a brown wooden desk in the back of the room with a chair in front, facing the desk and once behind it that was where he assumed she sat. There were bundled scrolls piled onto the desk, somehow ordered though. The wooden floor was spotless and had no visible item anywhere that was sloppily thrown.

That's the sense he got from her. Always the clean and orderly one.

There were also torches on opposite walls that shined down on the room. There was a balcony up a stairway to the loft above. That must be where she slept. There was two skylights high up in the stone wall, shedding beams of the moonlight into the already lighted room. Wait, what was that shadow up in the window? Pausing as he stared at the spot, he decided it had simply been a Pegasus flying over Canterlot and casting a shadow on the window... Doubted it but decided to move on.

This room was different than the hall, but was more old fashioned with stone and wood instead of the Chrystal towers being built all around Canterlot.

Now that Princess Twilight finally had the light from the torches shining onto her, he inspected the young Princess further.

She was definenently shorter than the eons older rulers. But she had a warm smile on her muzzle, that could rival Celestia's widest brightest smile. Her wings were also smaller than the princesses, but seemed to be lengthier. He would bet that she could touch both sides of his hotel room by simple unfurling her wings.

But the weirdest, coolest thing about her was her horn. It constantly had a magneta color twirled around the horn that was as long as Celestia's. The constant aura around her horn was a sign of the strongest magic imaginable. It had happened only a few times in pony history when a Unicorn/Alicorn had been so fluent and strong with magic, they could barely contain it.

Overall, very eloquent and beautiful.

"... Done sizing me up? Don't worry my little pony, I don't bite."

"..." For once I was speechless. No one reads me that easily, I'm like a rock!

"Ha. Anyway, have a seat and we will discuss this further." She then marched out of the doorway and sat in the chair behind the desk And placed her hooves on top and gave me a warm look. "Well sit down then! I don't have all of Luna's night you know."

Such a bucking tease... But Hearth liked that. Those girly mares with absolutely no personalities and only followed the trends and what other ponies said. Those kind of mares bugged him, big. He'd met too many to have respect for them.

"Fine Mom. You gonna spoon feed me baby formula over there?"

Sitting in the chair, he chuckled to himself. Sure the princess was sarcastic, but he was the king of sarcasm. His land was Sarcastica, and the ponies there were named Castics. And little sarcassodils growing in the ground. Yes, he was actually going through these details in his head.

"Well then... I gather you're hungry?"

Damn. Never mind. She has conquered Hearth's empire. He ain't gonna go that low with sarcasm.

"Hah, the expression on your muzzle is too priceless my little pony! Anyhow, down to the real business at hand... Tea for you?" She asked while literally making two cups full of tea appear levitating above her desk with a magneta glow.

He was pretty parched, that drowsy spell she cast on him was making him feel like a reanimated corpse. Numb, cold, and weak. Any kind of nourishment would feel great.

"Yes please Princess! Celestia bless your kind heart!" He said while striking a praying pose.

"Stop kissing my flank. I have reasons to believe that you are an Element of Harmony. And with Equestria's amassing enemies, we need all the fire power we could possibly use. In this chamber they lay. But I want to see if you can find them yourself." She smiled at his blank expression and took a polite sip of her tea. "And before you think otherwise, this is not a test."

My flank it wasn't a test. She expected something from him that he was positive wasn't there. So, shakily standing up from the desk with his cup of tea in grasp of magic, he looked around the room.

Nothing obvious was in the room, just the speculations he had made from earlier. Books and scrolls. Staircase leading upstairs. Shelves crammed with books. Stone walls and wooden plank floor. Nothing special.

But he knew Princess Twilight wasn't lieing. Being on the road for so long had its benefits. He had learned a lot of magic, physical shape had massively improved from already impressive stature, and being able to corner out the liars. He needed to sort out the liars so he could get good bargains, sales, and possibly dangerous mystery ponies. There were ALOT of those crazies in the world.

"Advice tip #1 for you Hearth, don't use your eyes on everything. Sometimes you have to FEEL it instead."

Alright, fine. Use the marish feels for this one. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and concentrated on, well anything.

*...thump...*

What?

*..thump..*

It sounded like a heart beat, and it was getting closer.

*.thump.*

What was going on?! He couldn't open his eyes!

*THUMP*

Finally able to open his eyes, he inhaled a ragged breath as he realized he had been holding his breath the entire time. That last beat was gargantuan, and now he knew why. He was standing over a chest with infused gems of a variety if colors, with a purple coat filling in the spaces between gems.

"... Oh my... You actually did it... You did it! There's been so many others Hearth. But none could summon the box. The box only comes to one that can command the Elements! This, this is astounding! Open the box already! I'm like a little mare on Christmas here!"

Hearth was still shocked and exhausted at the indications of what was happening at the moment, but seeing an alicorn princess spring around like a filly brought a smile to his muzzle.

"... Alright, but seriously... What happened right there?" He asked because he really wanted to know why he went all zombie for a few moments.

"You entered the recesses of your mind and discovered your instincts to be an Element! I designed the test myself, to see if they react to who you are. It's apparent now that they see something in you!" Wholly Celestia her pupils were incredibly un-dilated.

"Hmm. Well how about that. On with the show then!"

Pushing open the chest, a blinding flash emanated from inside, and then disappeared leaving his eyes stinging from the powerful beam of light. Peering inside, he saw a jumble of jewelry necklaces inside.

"Uhhh... Oookaaay... I think you mistook the Elements box for your personal jewelry box, princess."

She looked at him funny for a moment, then laughed and trotted over to join him next to the box.

"No! The Elements were stored in these 5 necklaces, and my crown, to contain their power as a handy accessory that could be used to bring out the inner power of a ponies self and store it the necklaces to create a beam to destroy the evil in other beings."

Oh ya, totally made sense. _Princesses_ created the Elements of Harmony, what a coincidence.

"Hmm..."

"I can see why your skeptical of the power of the Elements, but I can tell you from experience their real, and very very powerful if used correctly. Now then, touch one."

Deciding asking any more questions would probably deter him from the goal at hoof, he slowly placed his hoof inside the box and... And... AND!

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Hearth should've known this was a bunch of hokum.

"Bu-But..! This makes no sense! They should react to you of you were able to summon them! What is going on... Spell broken?.. No, summoning didn't work for anypony else!.. This is puzzling..."

Well, it was official. Equestria had one plum crazy Alicorn mare as ruler of magic.

"... Well it's getting pretty late Princess Twilight. I think I'll head on home if you don't mind..."

"Ugh, I'm not crazy Hearth. Please don't think I am! I'm sorry for wasting your time, I'll return you home then."

She looked discontented as she slowly turned to face the backing away stallion. Powering her horn, she closed her eyes and pointed her horn at his chest, until he thought of something and yelled over the humming of her magic being powered up.

"Wait!" She stopped and cracked her eyes curiously open at the anxious Hearth. "I have a meeting here tomorrow anyway, may as well stay. A lot of bits for the train ride over here anyway. I can just write to my friends and let them know I'm alright so they won't worry over where I am."

Stopping, she sighed and waved her hoof towards the doorway and levitated a appearing bag of bits towards him.

"Very well, I'll write to your friend Cotton. You go find a hotel and splurge yourself. Have fun! But no Hoarses, got it?" She glared at him with the last part.

This embarrassed him heavily, he wasn't thinking of that! Despite the marefriends, he didn't have sex just for the fun of it! He had to know a mare to, well you know... Never mind Mind! Your hopeless at explaining, even to yourself.

So just nodding his head slowly, Hearth took the money she had generously given him and left the double doors back into the hallway, and from the hallway to the Finding

* * *

Laying on his king size comfy bed, he wanted to kiss the Princess for her hospitality towards him. He had checked into a 40-story tall hotel that was named, "The Maneton" and it was bucking AWESOME! He was currently on the 23rd floor, heights didn't appeal to him. It had a mini water slide park, (Currently Hearth was drenched and his throat was coarse from spending two straight hours screaming like a little filly down the TERRIFIER! and boy did it live up to its name.) delectable food, and a "MINI" fridge the size of a regular hotel.

All in all, he was happy to be alive. Normally he was always sad about, something. He never could put his hoof on it, but he knew it was there somewhere. A sadness about this estranged life barren of any TRUE love.

Enough of this depressing subject! On to a root beer the size of a water silo back in PonyVille!

* * *

Unknown to Hearth, a presence had tailed him from the Princesses chamber, stalking through the crowds. Dressed in guards armor, the pony seemed to blend in with other border patrols. But this was not the case for this pony.

"... The Maneton... I should expect no less from this bucker that's the princesses pet... A jobs a job... Sorry buddy, but our army doesn't need the Elements of Harmony to go against us... The war would be tipped in the favor of this weak, soulless land and it's ponies. We would rule them better. Nopony would mess with us. We aren't like the sweet candy shop soldiers they have here. I heard from the skylight that you summoned them... It's only a matter of time until you control them, and that can't happen."

Pushing past the crowds, the pony pulled out a deadly sharpened ebony dagger and lit its horn with an icy blue aura.

"Say your prayers pony, because you'll need a God beyond Celestia for this one."

* * *

Aww, no Roasted Sunflowers... Bummer. That was the only thing this hotel was missing! It was extravagant in all places, floors, and even had a gigantic garden with a lake! Pure awesomeness, he told himself. Until he got the chill.

You know how sometimes you crawl out of bed one day and your freezing your nips off, but you don't know why? Well this is basically that, but it came out of nowhere. Wasn't cold outside, air conditioner was off, and the sun was just rising outside. Would've been a beautiful sunrise to watch. If he hadn't felt like Frosty the Snow Ponies sudden replacement.

He was just standing there in the middle of his hotel room, with his eyes wide open and trembling from the cold. He couldn't even move, like he was frozen in place. He actually might HAVE been frozen, but all Hearth wanted to do was cuddle with a bonfire.

Fire... Of course... His brain must've been malfunctioning from the cold. Summoning up fire in his horn, he spread it throughout the room. Too weak, it started freezing over again but he was loosened from his icy grip on the carpet and made for the door. But paused just as he was about to open it with his magic.

The cold came back instantly, which means somepony was controlling this. He didn't know how he knew, but it made sense. That glimpse in the skylight, he KNEW that was somepony. Now something was trying to kill him after hearing about his performance, coincidence? I think not.

They were probably waiting in the hallway, waiting for him to escape. He wasn't ready for a fight the cold had drained him pretty bad. It's a trap, so how do I get out without using the door? Looking up, he saw there was no air vents or ducts. Not getting out like that. Hearth ran out of the hallway and into the living room. He saw windows first, they were being frozen over, with less and less visible sight through the window.

Not thinking straight, he blasted the giant window with a small flame ball, instantly breaking it and sending glass down below into the city and scattering on the carpet in the room. That's when he remembered he wasn't a Pegasus. He would've facehoofed himself if he had the energy. His mind was being sedated from the cold.

That's when fate showed a little sympathy for the Stallion. The sun started to rise, and it was already casting away the freezing air of the room as light and warmth flooded the room.

He breathed a sigh of relief until he heard a loud slam come from the hallway.

* * *

It was working, the pony could feel his life aura growing fainter and fainter. Concerned by a blast of warmth, she slipped over to the door and perched with knife in it's magical grip facing the door. But for some oddball reason, he did not escape through the door like the pony thought Hearth would. He was supposed to be bright, but this was far from it.

The lethal pony was still puzzled when she felt a warm blast shatter the window in the room.

Finally cracking a smile, "Lost his bucking mind, unexpected but he's still a dead pony... Time to lea-"

But stopping the victory talk to the pony's self as it felt a intense warmth enter the room. The sun had risen by the feel of it.

"DAMN. LUCKY BUCKER!" the pony said frustratingly before bucking open the door and angrily entering into the room.

* * *

Hearth knew instantly it was the assailant. He knew he couldn't take on this murderous pony at the moment, due to the weakening cold. But if he could find a hiding spot and heal up, he might have a chance. Even then though, he might not stand a chance. This pony probably was very experienced due to the way he was handling this.

In the living room, there was two ways to go. One was to the bedroom, and one to a bathroom. He decided since the bathroom was closest to the door he would hide in there. But with his mind finally working, he came up with a distraction.

Messing up the little straight carpet to his bedroom with his magic, he then dashed to the bathroom and dived in, turning off the lights in the bathroom. Not closing the door however, for that would make it all too obvious where his hiding spot was.

Not a moment too soon either. Hearth heard the scuffling of hoofsteps enter the living room. Peering out the gap in the doorway, he saw a pony with purple embroidered armor and a helmet with a flowing shadow plume. To his immense surprise, he realized this was no Stallion, but a Mare of Princess Luna's guard with a midnight black coat. Must've been one of the elites, for she had both bat-like wings and a horn. Along with a glinting black dagger that he suspected was ebony.

Silently, she looked at the carpet then glanced around the room and focused on the bathroom. Hearth dared not to breathe as he watched the guard, who seemed to be looking into his soul. Finally after what felt like eons, she went to the doorway for the bedroom and paused as she slowly glanced into the room, and stepped inside.

Not wasting any of his precious time, Hearth pushed open the door and started to stealthily trot across the floor towards the doorway leading to the exit. Unluckily for him, she took that exact moment to exit his bed chambers.

"THERE you are!" She seemed to smile baring two gigantic fangs like a python's and galloped straight at him.

Deciding there was no time for a clever retort, he galloped like Tartarus towards the door and opened it with his magic. Escaping into the hallway, he slammed the door right into the face of the shadow mare. Melting the doorknob so she wouldn't get out by simply turning the handle.

"Ow..." came an angry cry. Other things were said, but it wouldn't feel right repeating them in any context.

Wasting no time, he dashed down the hallway and pressed the button for the elevator. Just as the the bell chimed and the elevator doors opened, his door in the hallway burst open as shards of wood chips scattered in the hallway outside the door. Going into the elevator, Hearth pressed the close button increasingly rapid as the black mare did a sharp turn and came at a full sprint towards him, hissing like a snake. The doors closed just as she reached it, to his great relief.

At least he was relieved until he heard screeching sounds come from above his ride as it came to a stop. Curious, Hearth dragged the emergency ladder from the corner of the elevator and opened the hatch in the roof. Meeting a sight that made him go pale.

Ice had frozen the wire and equipment so that the electric box was short circuiting. Hearth could tell from the flickering lights illuminating the fairly wide space in the shaft with gray iron beams frosted over. But oh no, there had to be more. He heard the metal doors about 10 stories up begin to pry open, and he suspected he was about 10 stories above the ground floor.

Looking over the side of the elevator, he saw another ladder leading to the bottom of the elevator. Finally a stroke of luck. Quickly climbing down the ladder, he used his left hoof to bring a wire waving aimlessly under the elevator to him. Doing a bit of gymnastics, he used his bottom hooves to remain hooked onto the ladder as he dropped down and pinned the wire between his two front hooves. Using this momentum, he unhooked his rear hooves and pinned the wire between them as well.

Hearing a gut clenching sound coming from above, he knew that Miss shadow had just broken through. Looking below him, he saw a door opening on floor two. He had wanted floor one, but was he in a situation to waste time complaining?

Loosening his grip, Hearth rocketed down the wire, careful to avoid the wire touching bare skin. That would burn like bucking Tartarus at these speeds. Hearing a piercing shriek from above, he looked up just in time for the shadow pony to tackle him onto floor two.

* * *

"Yup, I don't know what's going on you two, but the elevators out of commission as per the minute." The green coated janitor told to a couple with their hooves around each other, with the butter yellow coated mare's head resting on the Blue coated stallions chest.

"Well that's just awful! We need to get out of here to get on our train that will take us to our honeymoon!" The Stallion said exasperated.

"Well, I suppose if your desperate, you could just jump through that window!" Laughed the janitor as the couple looked at the window at the end of the hall.

"Hehe, no thanks. Not until it gets that despe-"

But he was interrupted as a tangle of ponies shot onto the floor from the shaft and rammed head on into the couple knocking them out.

* * *

Hearth felt like the air had been sucked out of him when the mare had hit him square in the ribcage, knocking the breath out of him. But he ignored it and thanked Celstia for the landing onto a pillow, AKA lovey dovey couple. Dazed, he swung his hoof out, extraordinarily hitting the mare in the muzzle and tumbling her off of him.

Scrambling to get up, Hearth's hoof was knocked out from under him from a back hoof from the mare, toppling him once more to the floor. Taking the opportunity, she flung her wings out on the ground, sending a gale into Hearth, sending him down the hallway to slam into a stone wall under a window.

"Buck..." He was seeing little yellow dots dance in his vision from the pain. He suspected he had fractured a rib from that massive impact. Gasping from effort he climbed onto his four hooves again.

"Ready to end this you annoying Stallion!" The mare said in a more, your gong to get it! rather than a, do you want it? attitude. She pulled out the ebony dagger from her armor pocket, and held it in a threatening manner.

"Hey now Miss mare, you don't have to do this! Give me that and we can forget all about this, alright?" The janitor asked, recovering from his daze. He trotted up to her shoulder and offered his hoof out, asking the mare to place it there and walk away.

She turned on him and brought the dagger up. The janitor flinched and withdrew his hoof to his face and looked away, expecting to be skewered. Hearth had to admit, he thought she would go through with it.

But she didn't. It looked like she would, but she paused and stopped mid stab. She looked, scared? She shook her head and backed away, then angrily looked at him down the hallway. Opening her wings, she flew at him once again, charging an icy blue spell on her horn.

Why didn't she do it? Why didn't she kill that janitor? Why did it look like she didn't want to kill? Why the buck was she doing this in the first place?!

All these things rushed through his head as he cast a small fireball spell at the oncoming ice wave. Triumphant for a moment, he felt good.

Only for a moment.

Bursting through the ice wave remains, she rammed her head into his head, sending them tumbling through the glass window.

Hearth wrapped his hooves around her neck and pulled her towards the ground about 2 stories down, she was on top of him, with glittering glass falling around them.

Trying to regain control, the mare tried to carry both of them up away from the ground, but no dice. He was one weighted (Not fat) Stallion. She then punched his face, but he used this and did a backflip ending with him on top of her now, only about 4 meters above the ground.

Trying to regain control, she spat in his eyes, even bit his muzzle. But he didn't give up. He was rewarded when they hit the ground as she was crushed under his weight and the ground, creating a sandwich affect.

Slowly slumping off her and onto the ground, he dragged himself up into a sitting position and examined her closer. Her eyes were closed, must've been knocked out from the pain and shock. But he could sense a heart beat with his magic, so still alive. He didn't know why, but he was relieved.

Glass was laying all around the two ponies on the sidewalk outside the hotel. And it was creating a small spectacle. Ponies in gowns and tuxes crowded around them, staring in horrified awe at the Stallion bleeding from glass scrapes, and the knocked out severely injured Night Guard of Luna's.

Hearth didn't know why the ponies wore so much fancy clothes around here. He wasn't one for get-ups himself, he had nothing to hide under his clothes. ;)

In his opinion, they were too stuck up and self obsessed. They weren't doing anything HELPFUL for Equestria, just judging others contributions.

Pushing himself onto all fours, he waved at the crowd gathering and spoke in a loud tone. "Yo Ponies! Nothing to see here! Move along, before I," pausing for dramatic effect, "GET YA!" Snickering at the sight of a couple ponies get spooked from his sudden outburst, he picked up the mare with his magic and walked into the hotel.

As he was being greeted, the greeting Mare with dimples and a light purple coat and mane saw what was going on and took him to the hospital with an emergency transporter in the basement of the hotel designed specifically for these kid of situations. Well, not these EXACT situations, but injury situations.

Teleporting to the hospitals, he fibbed and told the doctors that they had been mugged by a gang pony. They wouldn't help her if they knew she was an enemy of the Land of Equestria. Other doctors inspected him, gave Hearth medicine, and ran tests. Concluding it was a simple broken rib, they suggested taking it easy as the best cure. Thanking them, he asked if he could write to someponies.

The doctors let him use a letter sender, he then wrote to Princess Twilight and his friends about the situation.

Finishing his second letter to his friends he heard a zapping sound behind him. Turning around, Hearth wasn't surprised to see Princess Twilight standing behind him with an anticipating look in her eyes.

"Hello, anyway I hate to come out of the blue. But this pony is part of the threat to Equestria Hearth! She must be executed immediately!"

"No."

His sternness surprised even surprised himself, but he didn't pay heed. He didn't know why he felt this way, but he knew he was right on this one.

"What? Have you lost your mind!? She almost killed you, and you want her to be set free in the streets of the largest city in Equestria? May I remind you that she was raised to kill!?" Twilight argued with both surprise ad anger in her voice.

"She doesn't want to Princess, not really anyway. She wouldn't kill a simple janitor in the hallway at the hotel... She didn't want to, I could feel it! I think she's a good pony in heart, I know it in fact. Just let me hang out with her, talk to her, calm her down a bit. Let her see our side of things instead of their side... What is their side anyway?"

Twilight paused for a moment, deciding whether or not to inform him about the enemy. Obviously thinking he was worthy, she sighed.

"They call themselves the Shadow-Tornadoes. They started threatening us not four months ago, and a silent war has broken out between us. We have lost many soldiers in the war already, but with the Elements of Harmony in action..."

"Princess, it didn't work before! Why would you think it'll work anyhow?"

"I was an Element along with my friends once..." He noticed this subject bothered her greatly as he saw tears in her eyes, he actually felt bad for her. But she continued, "I know they will save us again, they have to! They always came right when the darkness was at hand! In their base, we have confirmed they have twice the number of troops, and their being heavily trained for battle. Perfect soldiers. But no soldier not being can survive through the Elements of Harmony and live to still be evil."

He had to admit, it would be nice if so many lives could be spared from the horrors of war, death, and blood. But Hearth didn't know if that would ever be possible.

"...Sure Princess. We'll find out how to activate them! An we'll crush these evil sons of Tartarus!"

Smiling at him, the Princess suddenly perked up and said with a half smile, and half frown, (if that's even possible, she did it right then.) "The Shadow Mare has awoken."


	12. Tides of War

All Hearth could do was stare at the Shadow Mare that not 30 minutes ago had tried to kill him. What else could he do? Offer a bowl of chocolate chip cookies and say, "Whatever"?

But he felt that Princess Twilight was taking this worse than he, the victim was. She was staring daggers at the pony, who for the first time, seemed afraid of the incredibly powerful Mare in front of her hospital bed.

He now saw past the little filly princess he had communed with yesterday. This was a seriousness level equal to Celestia's herself. This was the Ruler with an Iron Hoof he hadn't seen until now.

"Hello, Pony of Darkness... Tell me your name." This was more like an interrogation than a friendly hospital visit. And every interrogation had a good and bad cop, right?

"Hey Princess, lay off. She's injured badly, and plus she's probably completely loyal to them. So your wasting your breath." Hearth spoke the truth, the mare's angered face melted into surprise at his defense of her.

"... Hearth Soul Fire... You are one I am unable to crack into... Why do you defend me when I just tried to kill you? And why did you not kill me?" She asked with intrigued Dark Purple eyes, like this was an unsolved question on her math test instead of a life threatening subject.

"I saw good in you Shadow... I still do. You do not TRULY want to kill us ponies, do you?" I questioned in return, scooting over a nearby plastic chair to sit on next to her.

The walls were like his back in the Ponyville hospital, but there was expensive equipment everywhere monitoring everything about the patient. Her armor had been removed from her as the Doctors strapped her into the bed, tight due to the request of the Princess.

He saw now that she was slender, but could see the outlines of muscle. Beautiful Dark Purple eyes that sparkled with the light of the room, like some kind of reflector. She had a Cutie Mark of a Snow Flake, probably since her ability was intense cold magic. Bat wings that were slightly larger than a normal Pegasus's, Midnight Black coat and a violet mane that was hidden under the guard helmet. Overall, quite a hot look.

"Good?... In me?"

"Good?... In her?" The Princess and assailant exclaimed at once, before looking at the other with weird expressions on their muzzles.

"Yes, I do. Remember the Janitor? You could've butchered him without a second thought like the monster you think you are, but you held your Pomanity. You backed away, and spared his life. Your not a monster pony. And I know it."

Twilight shot a confused look in his direction before shaking her head and sighed.

"Assassin, my subject Hearth here has spoken what he feels, and I trust him. If he thinks you are worth thinking highly of, then I shall hold you in regards. But know I do not trust you in the slightest bit, and when you betray him, I will destroy you."

Swishing her tail and mane, she trotted briskly through the door, leaving a confused Stallion, and a terrified Night Pony. Turning his head, he was met with her face staring at his.

"... Midnight SnowStorm." She finally said, breaking the awkward silence.

"What?"

"That's my name. Given to me when I was crowned an assassin, that was a week ago."

"Wait Midnight, you only got your name a WEEK ago?! What did they call you before that?"

"Just my identification number, I didn't mind. But I felt so proud when I got my title!... You were my first contract..." This brought a sad haze to to the room, hazes must've given Hearth inspiration because he thought of a plan to test the TRUE heart of Midnight Storm.

"... I really am sorry Midnight. What will they do to you if you come back empty hoofed and I'm still alive?"

"... They'll behead me in front of the younglings to show a point, and humiliate me."

Hearth stared at her, then scratched his chin with his hoof, and tried his best to look pensive. Seeming to come to a conclusion, he nodded his head, as if to show the decision of something.

"You can't go back like that, here. Kill me." Levitating her the ebony knife from the hotel. He had gotten into her stuff, and had decided to keep this. He pulled it out of his travelers bag he had gotten Via teleportation from the hotel. Only, he had found a use for it earlier than he thought he would have.

"... What?" Midnight looked from Hearth, to the blade, back, and forth.

"Seriously! Take it! I don't want you to do Midnight! After you take care of me, you can escape through the window to the far right of the outside hallway." He sounded so positive, he wanted to congratulate himself on his acting skills.

The thing she was holding? Real. But he had used a dulling spell so that the knife wouldn't rip through his travelers bag. If she tried to kill him, it wouldn't work. AND Hearth would know if Midnight would've gone through with it.

Handing her the blade, he jumped out of his plastic chair roost, and sat on her bed.

* * *

Come on Midnight! We can kill him, and get out before anypony notices!

Midnight's mind was screaming at her to kill the Stallion sitting mere inches away from her, but she couldn't. She didn't know why, but she couldn't. Maybe it was because he was the only pony to ever see GOOD in her. Maybe it was the fact that he was being so considerate of what would happen to her, and not caring about himself. Or maybe it was because he was so sweet, kind, friendly, and chippy.

Point is, she couldn't kill him. No matter what would happen to her, he was willing to do so much for her.

But all that training, all that pain, all that honor given to you, for naught because of one nice contract kill pony?!

These thoughts conflicted in her brain as she held the dagger up to his chin, which he was literally pressing into. One swift lop from her sharpened weapon, and he was through, kaput.

But, he was smiling sadly. Midnight finally, through all her sadness and despair, felt something. Compassion.

This Stallion radiated it. He cared for her, and she had just tried to kill him. So, pulling the dagger away from his throat, she closed her eyes and let the Black weapon drop to the floor.

* * *

Hearth saw many expressions cross the Mare's face. The first was triumph, the second was doubt, third was desperation, and the fourth was resignation.

He was surprised by the reaction, but he had been expecting it after all. He knew this mare was something when he saw her, she had Honor, and Hearth had great respect for that.

"Congrats Midnight, you passed the test." He couldn't keep the pride out of his voice, he had broken into the assassin's inner feelings.

With a confused look from her, he continued, "What? You thought I'd let you kill me and trot away from the incident? Nope. I dulled the knife, so even if you had tried to kill me, it wouldn't work. I wanted to see the traits I knew you had somewhere, and now I'm convinced. You really hate being in your line of work."

He thought she would react badly to the news of the trick, but she just looked incredibly depressed.

"... Smart move."

This brought a light laugh from Hearth, which caused her to flash him a soft two fanged grin.

"Haha! ...Sorry about it, truly. But I had to know and I didn't see any other option."

"Understood, I would've done the same thing. ... When will I be out of this musky bed anyhow? My sense of smell detects alot of blood, and a recent death."

This would've freaked out most ponies, but Hearth had seen enough outrageous things to grow immune to them.

"I don't know, I'll go ask. Sit tight!" He galloped o the door waving to her, before dashing right into Princess Twilights chest.

Walking past him into the room, she looked at her with guilty eyes.

"She'll be out immediately. I know you heard this Midnight, your kind of pony has frighteningly heightened senses."

Hearth heard a shuffle come from the room, and Midnight slowly trotted out of the room.

"...Thank you Princess. And I am sorry for the trouble I caused... It's just..." Midnight told the Princess, with a pained look on her face at the ending part. Something made her do this business, she was fighting for something, what was it?

"Yes, my subject. I apologize for my hostility to you earlier. I realize now my friend Hearth was right."

Friend of the Princess?! Buck ya!

With both mares smiling, they shook hooves. With a contented sigh, Hearth shook his head. Was he the only good judge of character in this world?

"Hearth, don't get cozy. You are scheduled for the meeting in 18 minutes after all. Go, I shall handle this ones army of paperwork and fees."

"Heh, you the mare Princess Twi! Bye! We should hang out later by the way Midnight, you gotta try some tea!"

Waving goodbye, they returned the gesture, and he dashed past nurses and doctors running between rooms, until he arrived in the lobby.

"Hey y'all! How ya doing Hearth!" Came a southern accent.

Looking over, he saw his friends jumping out of their seats to come greet him.

"My lord my friend, you look worse for wear!" Came a always dignified Cotton.

"Aww, don't listen to him partner, you look mighty rugged and handsome! I bet all dem wounds will heal up in a jiffy!" Came a flustered Hopeful Apple.

"Damn, you look like you got in a fight with thirty thousand angry cats." Came a straight to the point Gusty.

Looking over to a mirror in the lobby for waiting patients, I saw Gusty was right. I had around 30 mismatched cuts from glass all over his face, muzzle, and flank. His mane was tousled and dirty from having all that dust get on him in the (uncleaned in a million years) elevator shaft. His eyes were droopy from lack of sleep that night, and energy overexertion. He really had put up a fight, and it had paid off with saving his life.

"Heh, you can say that again Gale. But us Unicorn, we don't enjoy flying so much."

With confused looks from my good three friends, I told them my story. Celestia Christ though, I was getting tired of telling stories.

* * *

"My lady Silk, the meeting will commence in 5 minutes."

"Thank you, Bliss. You are dismissed, I can handle myself for now."

Giving a bow, the beautiful Unicorn Utter Bliss gave a bow and trotted past the double doors that was the entryway to Silky's royal chambers. Bliss was kind, always willing to help. She had a blue mane and eyes, with a Snow White coat.

Now alone in the chamber with the only company of her thoughts, she had a conversation.

Hearth Soul Fire, her Filly crush at the academy had made himself known as a hero, savior of Ponyvillians. She had no doubts this pony was her Hearth, he had to be. Hearth was always there for anypony, even his enemies. He didn't care who or what you were like, he held all ponies within his liking. This might've made him the biggest, most noble pony ever, if it wasn't for his old personality. The way he thought of himself as not being able to amount to anything.

Funny, kind, friendly, and smart in his own way. Hearth was one of a kind, and that's why Silk had always liked him. He was perfect! Except for the way he never got angry, never showing his true emotions or weaknesses to anypony, Silk chalked this up as compensation for not knowing his parents. Everyone but Hearth had been placed there after the deaths of their fathers and mothers. They still had memories of their deeply loved parents, but Hearth... She couldn't imagine the pain from not knowing his parents, and knowing they left him almost the instant he was born. Moving away from these dark thoughts, she reminisced his perfections.

Intense, yet soft Fire Red eyes. Muscular as buck, but was gentle and comforting with his touch. Messy mane, yet somehow you couldn't help but think it matched his personality so well. And probably the thing that made her heart become a master acrobatist. His smile. It was like being next to a warm fire after trudging through bleak snow, she literally felt comfort whenever he flashed his signature crooked grin that he only showed to the people he trusted the most. She was one of those lucky ponies back then.

Had he changed? Had he let his deeds go to his head? Had he become even more hardened from all his traveling on the road? Had he had other mares since then?

The last part of Silk's thoughts made her give a blush. She had been asked onto dates by the richest nobles, and ponies even more handsome than he had been. But she had always said no. Her excuse to her mare friends in shock had been, "Not my style." But she knew this wasn't true. She still yearned for her crush, a crush that was going on 7 years. She had been a half year older than him at the time when they were both going on the Merry Go Round at age 13. Doing the math, you know that I was 20.

The day she had left with Linen with her new parents, (Razzle Dazzle and Rainstorm Dazzle.) she had felt awful when they told her cheerfully in the hallway about the plan. Until that big dolt had kissed her on the cheek.

It wasn't much, it probably didn't mean anything, but after that? She hadn't felt anything. It was like taking a great sadness and mixing it with something she had been waiting for the moment she had seen him. Which it was.

Closing her eyes, she felt the place where he had kissed her, ever so gently. And she could've sworn she felt his warm breath against her fur, like it had been.

Opening her eyes and snapping out of her thoughts, she realized she had been thinking to herself for 5 straight minutes. Flipping out, she galloped past the double doors and made a beeline in her head for the meeting place 2 floors down and 5 doors to the right.

* * *

"And so my dear ponies, I created a sandwich with the concrete and her body." Ending his tale of escaping from the assassin.

They had been given directions by ponies trotting about, looking at dresses and tuxes in the millions of shops placed in the city. He loathed them, but they had given good directions, he thought as they arrived in the Liturgy Hall's lobby.

Outside, it had been a magnificent sight to see. Four tall columns of swirling stone piercing the sky surrounding a cobblestone building that was only around 2/3 the height of the spires. From the front, Hearth saw a stained glass window of 2 branches, a fancy Purple X, which represented the ponies of the liturgy, and a depiction of Celestia and Luna in the Sun and Moon, with Twilight standing below and shining her horn onto the two, seeming to empower them.

After the death of the Elements, Equestria had gone crazy with fear. So to quell the riots and make peace, the citizens made their own governing rights, which they called the Liturgy so the Princesses would no longer be the only say in the land. What? He had done some research on the subject in a book in the library of the hotel! I still ain't no nerd.

There really wasn't any other distinguishing detail, except for the hundreds of guards flying around, and trotting around, the 4-story tall Liturgy Hall. There was no need for walls. There was a drop behind the Hall leading into a almost canyon made of soil behind it, so ponies had to fight through Canterlot to get there by land. And there was enough Pegasus guards standing guard to take on any creature or army, with their Ripped muscles and shiny armor and weapons of both Bows, Arrows, Spears, and Swords.

So showing their acceptance letter to the guards, they had walked through the thick spruce wood doors. Hearth had old them that Apple had helped him with the task, and both Gusty and Cotton had the experience of being controlled. They could tell the Liturgy what they had felt and seen, even though they both didn't want to talk about it, they had decided to tell it to the Liturgy, Apple, and Hearth at the meeting to save breath.

Wondering about Apple, Hearth asked, "Hey Apple! Where's Storm? I was sure he wouldn't want to miss this action! I was hoping he'd come to crack some obnoxious Upper Class ponies' skulls so I wouldn't have to."

"Haha, well Hearth, he was having trouble with the cattle. So he deemed it needed to stay behind and settle the fellers down, even though he really did want to be here, I'll say. He whined like a little Colt when Ma asked him to stay."

Ah, of course Ground Bloom had said something. Mares were always ruining our fun!

"Ya! And Nectar had been busy too to my bummer..." Everypony looking at a now wide eyed Gusty, he coughed and saved face. "Ya, you know it didn't bum me THAT bad..."

"Of course dear Gale, we all know you would never care that much about it! You are the toughest Stallions around, my friend." Hearth couldn't keep from giving a reluctant giggle from the way Cotton had stunted situation, but thought this was the best way to end the subject without setting Gale off.

"Hehe, y'all know partner that mah sister w-" Apple began but was cut off as a perturbed welcoming member of the Liturgy had cleared his throat loudly. He knew he was part of the liturgy to his funky hat. They had a weird kind of hat that made it look like a peacock had died on their head.

In other words, there were long peacock feathers sticking out of a Trilby hat, making him look taller, but also making the Liturgy Stallion look funny.

A sheepish Cotton bowed to the member and motioned for us to follow. "Oops! We better hold off the chatting for later, my friends. We must pay heed to this respected member of the Liturgy."

I hated bowing, but Hearth obviously had to kiss his flank to make him happy. So I bowed, and internally gagged.

"Thank you... Ponies." The Liturgy pony said with a sadistic tone, suggesting he was above them. "I shall now show you to the conference room where the other members shall inquire you fine ponies about the events concerning the Everfree Forest incident."

Silky Sensations... He was finally going to see her! After all this time! He couldn't wait, it had been too long since they had last seen each other.

Had she forgotten him? Had she missed him? Did she want to see him again? Was she different? Had she become a snob? Had she remembered that short goodbye kiss?!

Hearth wondered about these things as the group of 5 ponies trotted down hallways, up two flights of stairs, and arriving on the 2nd floor out of the 4 floored building.

Around 2 more upper floors as well, what are they used for? These two floors looked like they should be able to house the Liturgy, and about every homeless pony in Equestria! Ok for the record, I am not homeless. I chose the road as a way of life! I could easily settle down in a house, but I hadn't found the right spot yet.

Turning to the right, he let the others pass him as he stood below the stairway leading upstairs. Just to gather his thoughts before trotting in that room and having a meltdown at the sight of her. When Hearth was about to catch up with them, he was yelled at from the stairway leading upwards,

"WATCH OUT!"

Before Hearth could react, a force was slammed into his side, sending them both tumbling onto the floor.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry-... Hearth?"

Shaking away his dizziness, he was shocked into silence once more, he recognized that smoothe voice. Looking up at the beautiful face of a Purple coated with a blue/light green multicolored mane, his suspicions were confirmed. Silky Sensations was the mare who had collided with him.

"Silky Sensations, making it in the big league. Why am I not surprised?"

Laughing, Silk hugged him with so much force that it almost made up for the years that had separated them. Patting her back, he smelled her mane that was buried in his muzzle. Somehow, she still smelled the same, a field of Tulips. Feeling tears wet his shoulder fur, he smiled and stroked her soft mane. Feeling tears of his own begin to blur his vision.

Finally after about a minute of embracing each other, they split apart and wiped away their tears. Looking into her even deeper than he remembered Teal eyes, he felt like he was finally home. With a smile on his muzzle, he saw she had gotten her cutie mark, unlike him and Gale. (Lucky Mare, it was awkward for Hearth and his friend Gusty to not have Cutie Marks!) The mark was a depiction of 4 rays of Sunlight shining down onto a map of Equestria.

Realizing that she was in an awkward position above him, she quickly crawled off him and blushed fiercely. (You can't say I blushed if you couldn't see it under my Red fur!)

Rolling over, Hearth stood up and brushed himself off with his hooves. "Well, I can't say I expected to see you this way. But I'm not complaining. Its been too long Silk, we got to catch up sometime!"

With a smile that could've reached both her ears, Silk eagerly nodded. "Yes... That would be appropriate, wouldn't it?"

"Heh, looks like this fancy talking HAS influenced you."

Putting on an over exaggerated look of hurt, "Oh my dear Hearth, how could you say such a thing to a mare! I shall have you shipped away to Alcatrotz immediately!"

Putting on a look of terror, they stared at each other. Until breaking into laughs.

"Haha! What's wrong Hearth? You are the one after all who told me to never stop laughing!"

"Hah, well I'm proud you took my advice so long ago when..."

Fading into awkward silence, Silk looked at the ground. While Hearth just looked mortified for bringing up this sad subject at such a happy reunion.

"Excuse me you two, but the meeting is waiting." Hearing the sound of the Liturgy guide pony, Hearth knew it was time for them to go in. He had to tell the Liturgy ponies about the impending danger at hoof.

Turning around, he saw incredibly happy faces on Gusty and Cotton. But Apple gave a look at Silky like she had just eaten a rotten apple. He felt bad about making Apple jealous, but this was his good friend and he hadn't seen her in a good 7 years Celestia damn it!

"Well Silk, you coming?" Came a surprisingly less obnoxious tone from the Liturgy pony.

"Yes Nocturne, I was just having a conversation in an old... friend."

Hmm, so Nocturne was his name. Hearth would remember that.

Silky trotted quickly up to Nocturne, and together they entered the room. With the group of four galloping to not look like they were THAT late to the meeting, even though they were already around 5 minutes late.

* * *

"So, the Serpony was sent away to Alcatrotz with 7 broken ribs, and a fractured hoof." Hearth told the group of 17 Liturgy members sitting in black movey chairs around a crescent Chrystal desk. He had only told up to this point to avoid the subject of Hearth's friend Midnight being investigated into.

With Nocturne yawning, the other members looked very intrigued. Then spoke a brown coated pony with a gray mane from old age, "This is quite a story, young Stallion. You are to be commended for these deeds to Equestria and its ponies! You shall be given a medal of honor and br-"

"Whoa there buddy, Medal? No bucking thanks. I don't need it, and save the ceremonies until we stop this threat to Equestria. Deal?"

Another younger member with a tan coat and ginger red mane spoke up, "This Father the Serpony spoke about... You suspect this is the threat Equestria faces? Because you are wrong if you think that's just the case."

Giving a confused look at the assembled members, Nocturne decided his first words would be insulting. "Hmmph... Idiot, you think that's all the threats were being threatened with? Our enemies the Blackened Tufts, an angry mob that took over the city of Cloudsdale, they have around 4,000 Pegasuses and they have informed Equestria of pairing with three more even more powerful threats. The one you told us about is the one that must've been the secret members he didn't mention the name of, the Night Assassins, a incredibly skilled assassin clan that has around 2,500 highly trained assassins, and around 3,500 soldiers. The entire clan is composed from the guards of Luna, starting from a long line of guards that mysteriously disappeared, the whereabouts of these abandoning guards are now known. And finally, the Mad Pony. Maybe the most threatening of all the soldiers and rioters, he controls the very shadows themselves. If he ever tried to attack anything, the ponies there would be slaughtered, he might even take every one of our guards. Our guard count is very high, around 9,500 trained soldiers for this city, but only around 1,500 scattered in other towns. This war will kill so many, we are trying to avoid it, but the enemy is not backing down. This will be a full on war, and I for one want no part in it."

"Partner! Are y'all crazy or sumthing!" Apple sternly told the Stallion.

"Nocturne, come ON! This is to protect Equestria, OUR home! It's not theirs, and we have to make sure it never will be. We are not fighting, we are defending. We will not be in the fault for defending our land! Maybe you won't, but I sure as buck will!" I yelled at the council, who actually looked surprised at my outburst.

"Son," began the old pony from earlier, "I understand why you want to fight, but it's senseless. This is a Democracy, and I vote not to fight."

Nocturne looked pleased with his response, and looked with a encouraging look around the room. To Hearth's agony, around 3/4 of the assembled ponies held up their hooves. Right as Hearth was about to scold the members for their disloyalty, somepony else decided to do it for him.

"YOU PONIES HAVE NO BACKBONES!" Roared a tall pony that had teleported into the room. She had a long midnight blue horn and a large pair of midnight blue wings. A sparkling black mane that flowed like a river of stars with a purple crown on top and a emblem of a white moon plastered onto a black scarf like thingy, and a dark purple coat with shining white eyes that at the moment didn't seem to have pupils. This was one of the rulers of Equestria, Princess Luna herself.

Nocturne had wide eyes at the sudden appearance and immediately slunched to the ground in a deep bow, "P-Princess Luna! What an honor it is to have you he-"

"Be quiet, Nocturne. I have heard what has been going on with this council, and cannot believe what I'm hearing." The Princess spoke in a noticeably lighter voice, with her bleach white eyes returning to normal with steely grey eyes, almost like a storm taking place in the night. "And frankly, I am ashamed to have you recommended for this council. You have a good political mind, but you do not have the guts to stand up for anything. This Stallion wants to fight for my good sister and I in battle, and for that you have earned my respect, Hearth Soul Fire." How did everyone know my name? Seriously, there wasn't anypony I had met so far that hadn't known my entire bucking name!

"Thanks Princess Luna, but just because ponies don't fight, that doesn't make them cowardly. They simply have not seen what can be the consequence of not fighting."

Hearth had been like that with his magic trainer back in the orphanage. He didn't want to fight anypony, in fact he hated fighting. But, when he didn't fight back he had almost had the other pony snap his horn off, that's when he finally let loose his anger. That's when I had discovered I had promising talent in Fire magic, I almost burned the entire orphanage down out of rage. Later on, I was trained by the Flame Mage in the city of Phoenix. My mentor saw my talent, and helped develop it. His name was Inferno Flame, he looked creepily like Hearth as well. Same colored eyes, same coat color, same mane color, but different personalities. Inferno had been incredibly short tempered and serious. The day Hearth beat him in a sparring match with flame magic, he had been awarded with learning the spell, Inner Flame.

Inner Flame was when a Unicorn looked into themselves and used the flame in their hearts, mind, and heart to power a mega powerful Fireball that could kill just about anything. That was what he used on Mama Saragaunt. It had amazing results on the evil being, but at such an energy sap to his own soul, Hearth had almost died. But miraculously recovered not a day after. Because of Inferno, Hearth could cast small fire spells (That other ponies would find hard) so easily, it was like breathing.

Luna looked him over carefully. "You always defend ponies, Hearth. Even when they have wronged you... I do not understand this in the slightest. But I'm not here to learn more about you, I came to inform the Council of an attack that is occurring on Ponyville of Pony Beasts wrecking houses, and capturing ponies."

There was a brief pause of silence until Hearth and his friends lost it.

"NECTAR BLOOM!" Gusty cried in despair.

"THE FARM!" Yelled an angered Apple.

"THE DEFENSELESS PONIES!" I roared, louder than anypony else.

Cotton just looked dumbstruck.

"Council!" Said the stern voice of Silky addressing her other council members for the first time since entering the room, "We must send troops to defend the ponies of Ponyville!"

The council just looked at her like she had just grown antlers tipped with tiny little green dancing alien faces.

"Are you crazy ambassador Silky Sensations?!" Huh, so she was the ambassador of the Council, and the leader of the Council. Rock on Silk. "That would expose us to their attack on US! If we send, say 5,000 soldiers, that would only leave us with around 4,000! If they changed courses, we would be crushed! I vote no!" Spoke Nocturne immediately. Not seeing the tide turn towards sending troops, Cotton stood up to the podium, shoving me aside and screamed at the council,

"YOU SEND YOUR 5,000 SOLDIERS COUNCIL MEMBERS! THESE ARE THE LIVES OF INNOCENT CIVILIAN PONIES, AND YOU ARE WILLING TO LEAVE THEM BEHIND FOR YOUR OWN WELL BEING?! WHAT KIND OF PONIES 'OF THE LIVES OF CIVILIANS' ARE YOU?! THIS IS FOR THEM, NOW STOP WORRYING SO HARD ABOUT YOUR OWN WELL BEING, AND GROW A HEART! SAVE THEM CELESTIA BUCKING MANURING TARTARUS SPAWN YOU!"

With Cotton stopping to take a breath, the Council immediately voted to send troops.


	13. Mutant Mash!

Princess Luna, Gusty, Cotton, Apple, Silky, and I dashed out of the Liturgy Hall and looked across the high perch from the ground at the town of Ponyville far away in the distance. There were 100s of Pegasuses flying away from the town, very quickly in fact. Hearth could also see strange miniature figures dashing out of the forest at abnormal speeds, for a pony anyway.

"Damn it, we need to get there now and crack these mutants faces in!" Gusty said, rubbing his hooves together in anticipation.

"Same goes for me too, Partner." Whispered Apple, terrified at the thoughts of what was happening as they spoke.

"Not yet you guys, the guards are assembling! They'll be ready any minute!" Pleaded Silky at Apple and Gusty.

"For once Silky, I agree about using violence. This war will take every one of their lives unless we go stop them." Hearth had never seen Cotton be angry, but if he ever could be, he was pissed as Tartarus right now. Cotton despised fighting, despite his bulky build of muscles that came naturally for Earth Ponies like him and Apple.

"What about you Hearth! You've got to side with us! Lets go smash thei-" I interrupted Gusty by putting my hoof in his mouth.

"We'll all die if we head there without backup, but we CAN try to save the civilians to the best of our abilities. How's that for a compromise you 3 bickering foals? Then we go, and kill every single one of these HALF-BREEDS from BUCKING TARTARUS!"

Everypony except a distracted Luna looked at Hearth with fear. Hearth hadn't been this angry in awhile, and he REALLY needed a vent or else he would explode from rage. Those ponies had been so kind, considerate, and friendly. Now their lives would be taken by anti-social ponies that quit their own lives to become something, ELSE.

"HEARTH!" Came a unison of voices.

With his friends and Hearth glancing backwards, he saw Midnight and Twilight approach at a fast gallop.

"Phew! Glad we caught up in time! Let us come with you." Spoke Midnight with determination in her eyes.

"Yes, my friend Hearth. A Princess has duties, and one of them is fighting when needed."

"Twilight! You two know each other?" Luna said with surprise looking back at the pair of ponies. With a nod from Twilight, Luna smiled and then looked at Midnight. Awkward silence prevailed until Luna grinned even more at her guard. "Ah, Midnight SnowStorm, one of my subjects. I know you were not raised here, but at that camp." With Midnight looking terrified, Luna laughed and continued, "But I see you chose us over those evil ones, and for that I am proud."

Midnight, for the second time, smiled without sadness.

"Princess Luna, there is no time to waste! Let us commence with Hearth's plan, we can save as many ponies as possible before the guards arrive and quash them." Twilight said interrupting the mush fest.

Nodding at each other, Twilight looked at Midnight and gusty. "Midnight, can you carry Silky Sensations on your back?" With a nod from Midnight, Princess Twilight looked around the group and explained, "Midnight will carry Silky, I will carry Hearth, Princess Luna will carry Cotton, and Gusty will carry Apple. Agreed?" With a nod from everypony, Twilight grinned and motioned for them to get on the respective backs of their partners.

Climbing onto Twilight's back, he laughed and whispered into her ear, "I way a ton, so you better be stronger than you look!"

Rolling her eyes with a smile on her lips, the group took to the air.

* * *

"Whoa there Gale, no need to prove yer a speed demon now!" Came the squeaky voice of a mortified Apple riding on top of Gusty Gale.

Gusty looked up, and rolled his eyes. They were the pony pair that was farthest behind.

"I know your afraid of heights Apple Bloom, but no need to be this afraid! Look at Silky for instance."

Knowing that Silky was being dignified, Apple was sure to be just as dignified thanks to her newborn rivalry with the mare. Seriously, Hearth had 2 gorgeous mares gunning for him, and Gusty was trying to just get one, and he could barely speak to her.

Gusty wished not for the first time that he had Hearth's calm, 'I'm the Stallion.' attitude. He could probably get any mare in Equestria if he tried, yet he didn't. He almost seemed to loathe being involved with a mare.

"... Yeah ok, heights aren't that bad!" Spoke the braver voice of Apple above him.

Rolling his eyes, he smiled until Apple seemed to understand his tactic and glared down at him and decided to try to get on his nerves as well.

"Hmm, I wonder if Nectars ok... She sure was helpless against those Saragaunts." Feeling Gust's shoulders tense, Apple smiled and continued, "You know what she needs? A hero to come in and save her! She'd be forever in their debt. In fact, I bet that-"

"Shut up!" Spoke the irritated Gusty to a giggling Apple.

* * *

"... So Midnight, how'd you and Hearth meet?" Silky asked, unable to bear the silence that was prevailing over the boring flight.

"... Do you want to know the truth, or do you want me to tell you what you want to hear?"

This part confused Silky, but she just chalked it up to the oddball night ponies habits of speech, like their leader Princess Luna. Although, Silky had to admit that Princess Luna talked like any other pony nowadays, an occasional 'thou' or 'Shalt' but otherwise, exactly the same.

"Err... Truth? Always truth Midnight, haha."

"Alright... I was trying to kill him when we met."

Tensing her muscles, Silky clammed up. Midnight smiled to herself, expecting this result. But continued anyways.

"He was my first contract for the Dark Winged Assassins, I tried to kill him in his hotel at the Maneton. But I failed my mission and the result of my attempt at killing him, was Hearth basically crushing me with his weight." This, to Midnight's pleasure, brought a little laugh out of Silky, although her voice was still a little scared. "Then, get this. He brought me to the hospital instead of crushing my head in, like I would have in his position... When I woke up, he gave me a second chance with my life, to do what I wanted to instead of having to kill for a living. I am in his debt, and I shall make it up to him, someday."

Silky had listened to the story, and didn't know how to feel about this story. Terrible beginning for this mare, but now despite all of it, was trying to help other ponies. All because of Hearth giving her a second chance.

"You seem to have known Hearth, how did you meet him if I may ask Silky?"

Finally having a conversational topic, Silky told Midnight about their adventures at the orphanage, leaving out her crush on Hearth of course.

* * *

"My subject, Cotton was it?" Luna asked as they sailed through the sky in a period of silence, ended by this question.

"Yes, Princess Luna. Celestia though, I want to bow but some part of me says that would not be wise."

Smiling, Princess Luna advanced, "I never have experienced friendship, but what I observe from you and your friends is that you are very in sync. Why is this?"

Explaining to Luna, Cotton told her about their orphanage and how they bonded not just because of their syncs, but because of their differences.

When he was finished, he felt her bulky muscles (For a mare) shift to look up at him. He would've deemed this dangerous, if it wasn't for the grace of the Princess's wing movements. Smiling sadly, she told Cotton, "I never have had a friendship that strong. Celestia is my sister, we are bonded by blood. But you ponies seem to be connected by fate, I wish fate favored me so."

"Don't talk that way Princess! You are stronger than that, I think. But if it counts for anything, I consider you a friend of mine."

"R-Really? Thank you, Friend." Luna spoke with extra pressure on the word friend.

They passed the rest of the flight in companionable silence, with the only sound coming from the breeze blowing gently through their fur.

* * *

"Princess, about the Elements..." Hearth had been just waiting for the opportunity to bring this subject back up, this was like an answer to his prayers. And he suspected that she also wanted to discuss this subject, due to her choosing him as her mount.

"... Yes?" Yup, she had been prepared for this question, but had been nervously stewing.

"What does it mean? Can you answer me that?"

"Well, Hearth. I have a hypothesis. It is crazy, but it might make sense if it were to ever happen. Scriptures make no indication of a second set of Elements, but yet everypony has a different trait that could match as an Element of Harmony... I suspect that you are part of another set, but share bonds to the old set, allowing you to summon them upon your demand."

This puzzled me, but she was right. It did seem to make a little sense.

"Alright, I'll buy that. But if that's true, then what Element am I? And where are the others?"

"Yes this is exactly what I'm stuck on myself, the rest doesn't make sense. Not the part about you having good traits, but where are the others if this is so?"

Well, due to her basically asking him the same questions he was asking he sat back and glanced over the side of her body.

They were flying directly towards Ponyville, and they were getting impressively closer with every second that passed. At the moment they were flying over Everfree forest, so he suspected they had maybe 2 minutes until arrival.

Hearth had no idea how the Pegasus and Alicorns had been flying this long without a break. If he ever used magic this long, he'd have a stroke. The trees looked much less intimidating when they were all dead. The forest had been drained of all color, and leaving only gray. The color of Death.

With Emo thoughts bugging me, I sat back and looked up at the baby blue sky. Bad things rarely happened on rainy or stormy days, it was always the beautiful ones you knew you wouldn't get the chance to enjoy because of the depressed state you were in. Although, storms did make everything seem more drab and sad, making you more susceptible to depression.

Proven fact from science centers all over Equestria!

So peaceful, he might even fall asleep. Slowly closing his eyes to get some rest finally, he was jolted awake by a hawk pony slamming into Twilight, and clutching him with two oversized talons.

* * *

Twilight cried out in sudden pain as he was hoisted away from her high into the sky. Hearth struggled in the bucked up creature's clutches, but to no avail.

The thing had brown plumage mixed in with mint white fur, like some super young filly had a bad art accident on a poor civilian. It had both eyes hawk like, with a purple mane running down it's back. Had a Muzzle, but was pointed and currently formed a smile with crazed gold eyes. And had a ponies tail. Opening its massive beak/muzzle, Hearth took the foolish thought to eat him as a favor.

Powering up his horn, he set the table for the Thanksgiving Turkey Root. He shot a large white hot fireball directly down its throat, at least it would've gone down Bird Pony's throat if it hadn't blasted through the other side of his throat.

Giving a dying choke on flame, it closed its eyes with blood pouring out of Bird Colt's beak and the hole in his throat, falling past Hearth. As it died, it released him to fall around 50 feet of distance, screaming the whole way, to get picked off by Princess Twilight catching me on her back once more.

"Nice reaction Hearth! I thought my subject would become Hawk chow."

"...Well bucking thanks Princess Twi, but watch out! Or is this another one of your mean-flank tests?"

"Oh, no my dear. This is just the PRE-test." She smartly responded, laughing at the expression on Hearth's face.

Looking around at his friends, he saw Luna blasting the bird ponies out of the sky with what looked like ropey shadows that wrapped around their wings, sending them plummeting towards the dead woods below, with Cotton bucking away any creature lucky enough to get close enough to the Princess of the Night.

Looking to the side, he saw Midnight casting ice balls or spikes at the enemies, slamming into their wings and causing them to freeze over the pony, making them into popsicles. Silky was doing her part too, to his surprise, this mare could fight. Silky teleported all over the place, smacking them out of the sky with her hooves, before teleporting away and smacking one sneaking behind of Midnight.

All the aerial mutants were different, some had talons, some had hooves, some even had rhinoceros horns attached to their muzzles with leathery bat wings. Some had regular Pegasus wings, but there weren't many, and the few that did had 4 ears, or 8 eyes like a spider. It was pretty bucking creepy, if you haven't thought that yet.

Looking over at Gusty and Apple, he became concerned. Gusty was the only flier who wasn't magical, and the best he could do was swat anypony that flew in front of him. But Apple was the one saving his flank, sure Gusty could be zipping around kicking flank. But had a passenger, a MARE for that matter. Apple was bucking with tremendous force, not only knocking the unlucky bird pony out of the air, but cracking their bones.

Realizing the Princess/Fire Pony duo hadn't been taken care of, the remaining wary bird ponies flew at them with beaks and muzzles opened with razor sharp teeth coming at them.

Princess Twilight made a mustache grow in the throat of one, making it literally choke in surprise and fall towards the forest, choking on hair. Hearth sent off a fireball at one, who swiftly dodged it in a loop-de-loop, only to be met with Hearth's hoof as it dived down at him, knocking it out.

The Princess sent off two spells that made mustaches grow in three bird pony's eyes, making them scream and fly around in pain and confusion.

What was her deal with mustaches? No idea. But damn, it got results.

* * *

This process went on, until Hearth enveloped the last one in an inferno ball, instantly burning the mare bird pony into a crispy black thing.

Gasping for breath, the group of 8 ponies hesitated in the air. Giving the a-ok signal to each other, they continued on the trek.

Ponyville had only been a good 30 seconds away, and arriving on the ground they were surprised by what they saw.

The town ponies seemed to be handling the situation fairly well, they had formed a group of civilians in the Town Hall. Ponies were in The Town Hall windows and Doorways, with some out front battling the mutants back from cover points like fallen debris or carts. The townsponies had assorted weapons for everypony. Axes, machetes, metal bars, toilet plungers, (... You heard me. Toilet Plungers are dangerous though, in their own way.) and flower pots were the assorted weapons that he could see in the hooves or magical grip of the town ponies. Beating off the birds or other Tartarus spawn on each other's backs, and watching each others backs was proving effective. Injured bird ponies were scattered about, either dying or dead. The injured town members were rushed inside the moment they were injured, and the few regular ponies he saw that had died had tear stain marks on their fur, with closed eyes from caring hooves closing them. But despite how well the battle was looking for the civilians, Hearth could tell they were starting to lose control of the massive tides of mutated bastards from Tartarus.

Most town buildings had been demolished from something or other, spiked balls, rhino horns, or plain mutated strength. This made the other ponies of the small group of 8 go quiet, staring with tears in their eyes at the mortifying sight before them. But not me, not Hearth.

I saw red tip my vision, and my panting turned into snarling. I couldn't believe this, the pain, the suffering, the blood, it made him so ANGRY! He dashed full speed towards the monsters as his friends quietly mourned. They called for him, but he could barely hear them through the blood rushing through his ears.

Running up to one, he snapped a insectoid pony's neck before it knew he was there, tossing it aside with his magic into another one, causing its brethren to turn on him with angry faces. Clacking their insectoid mandibles, or serpent teeth, or digging sharp claws that sprouted out of their hooves into the ground. He just didn't give a buck though.

He blasted two insect ponies with flame, setting them on fire and making them crawl on the ground to try to put the fire out. Seeing this, a rhino pony with wings flew up and tried to flatten Hearth with it's weight.

"Foolish moron," Hearth muttered under his breath as he jumped up, higher than he ever had before, and put his horn into the mutant's head, killing it instantly. Falling to the ground, he took his horn out of its head with a sickening sound, and levitated the dead rhino/bird/pony in the air, before throwing it into a small crowd of around 20 mutants. Flattening them like Mother Soft Eyes pancakes.

Hitting the ground, around 20 more mutants circled him. Some spit poison at me, but Hearth didn't feel it. It was so weird but, he felt his anger building in him like a volcano. To the point at which he almost couldn't stand it. More circled around, on the ground and skies, blotting out the beautiful blue sky. Around 60 mutants were there now. They converged on him, and that's when he released it all, all his rage and anger. Levitating myself into the air, the creatures halted their attack. Their fatal mistake.

I screamed something I didn't even understand, and pushed out a White Hot Red Force out of my body that instantly vaporized all of them into tiny particles of ash that floated around in the air. The only thing that marked what happened was a indent in the concrete that marked something had just burned through it, sending up smoke wafts.

Taking a deep breath as I hit the ground, his red tinted eyes faded, and he looked around at the scene. Hearth had killed half of the group of mutants trying to go head to head with the civilians in the Town Hall. Some of the fighting ponies saw the explosion and cheered, only to have to dodge a giant acid spitball.

Realizing what he had done, Hearth felt like he was going to be sick. But I didn't have the time as I jumped out of the crater, narrowly dodging a fruit stand that had been hurled at me by a giant muscle lined pony that looked like he had been taking steroids since he was in his mother's womb.

Before Hearth could act, a night lasso wrapped around it's muscle bulging neck, choking it into the ground. Looking up, he saw Princess Luna wrapping her tendrils around any mutant she laid her eyes on. Apple, Cotton, and Silky slowly approached him with scared expressions.

"Hearth?" The voice of Silky is what did it, he snapped out of his feral stage and staggered forward, to be caught by Cotton.

"Golly Hearth, you sure killed a lot of these here ponies!" Exclaimed Apple.

"They're... Not... Ponies anymore." Hearth was having trouble breathing all of a sudden, he felt like he had been tickled so badly, he was dying.

What? Don't judge my analogies, and I won't judge yours!

Looking at him with worry, Silk walked up and helped him regain his hoofing.

"Thanks, Silk. Now lets go kick some more flank!"

"No way partner, I think we have it handled. Besides, you took out around 100 of these varmits. You've helped enough with yer... Eh... Whatever that fire bubble thing was." Apple Bloom gently told him. "Now don't miss me too much!" Bending forward Apple pecked him on the cheek before running towards the hoard.

Seeing this, Silky looked like she was going to snap Apple's neck, which sort of scared me. Cotton obviously felt the same way as he slowly trotted backwards away from Silky, so he could go around her instead of in front of her. I would've laughed, if Silky hadn't come up and laid me down with her magic onto a fallen wall of pink wall from a nearby building.

"Please don't fall asleep here... Please?" She begged before turning around and teleporting towards the crowd.

"Hearth... What was that?!" Quickly glancing sideways, Hearth saw a very terrified Princess of Magic standing next to him with a pale expression. "That energy, it was so strong. But, it felt so dark, so evil, so angry. W-What happened to you? You weren't yourself!"

Giving a guilty look at her, he whimpered out, "Sorry... Its just, I've never felt that angry before."

"...Ok... Watch yourself Hearth, don't do that again, otherwise you might not come back as your plain self." Giving him one last concerned look, she opened her wings and pushed herself off into the sky.

"..." For the first time, I was speechless. What had happened? How had I killed without guilt or sorrow? This was war, but that? Was simply slaughter. His force field had obliterated a perfect sphere in the ground though, pretty cool.

Laughing to himself, he felt better. Laughter always made him feel better, happier, lighter. Hearth was himself, but what if the Princess's warning had been true? If he entered that stage again, would Hearth come out as Hearth? Or something else?

Shaking away his thoughts, he watched the battle before him. Silky was knocking heads together by teleporting between two and smashing their heads together. Gusty was zooming around and knocking the aerial ponies out by grabbing their wings and dive-bombing them into the concrete hard, he knew none of those mutants would live again after a fall like that into such a solid object. Princess Twilight was now using plain randomness in her spells, including mustaches, just sending weird things at the ground and aerial troops, strangling or beating the life out of them. Apple was using her lasso to swing around on the enemies, slamming them into others, sending the stupid things into buildings or into the air, slamming them down onto buildings or concrete, killing them instantly. Silky was distracting them by teleporting around and punching their eyes or the Sweet Spot for the Stallions. (Note to self: Never, ever, ever get on Silk's bad side.) Midnight froze the enemies hooves, or claws, or any endless kind of stability to the ground with dry ice, freezing up their hoofs until frostbite turned their lips blue and slowly killed them, if a civilian didn't take the opportunity and stab or beat the dying frozen pony. Cotton was going around and helping injured civilians into the Town Hall safely. And with Luna using her ropes to strangle or swing the enemy into each other, pretty lethal and awesome physical force, lethality level 10.

He was thinking this fight was in the bag, until Gusty was blasted out of the sky into the hoards of mutants by some hawk freak. Not hesitating a moment, Hearth decided his break was over.

Dashing past the ashes of the evaporated freaks, Hearth arrived just in time. A weird dog mixed with pony had its fangs dug into Gust's hoof, of whom was screaming in pain. Sending a fireball, it hit the mutant between the eyes, burning through it's head and into the brain, sending the recently dead body into more oncoming hoards. Before Gusty got to his hooves, a force behind Hearth knocked him to the ground. Looking up, he saw a freaky mix of a pony and a hyena on top of him. In fact, it was almost 100% hyena, the only distinguishing factor was its hooves where claws should've been. Lucky for Hearth. Claws would've ripped through his flesh, puncturing an organ or artery. That wouldn't be to good now would it?

Luna sailed down and ripped it off Hearth with a shadow rope spell, snapping its neck and letting the dead body fall to the ground beside him with a THUNK.

Before he could thank her, she was tackled from above by 2 Bird hybrids that sent her falling to the ground, being sent at a Kangaroo mix that was rearing back its legs. Seeing this as well, Silk teleported and performed a roundhouse kick with her rear right hoof that landed onto the kangaroos back, making it flinch and causing Princess Luna to have a Kangaroo cushion. Slamming into the Kangaroo, Luna slid on top of the mutant a good 5 meters before coming to a stop. This was getting ugly, fast.

Princess Luna had what looked like a broken wing, Hearth's energy was way low, he could still cast fire spells, but that was only due to his intense training with Inferno. Gusty had the bitten hoof hanging limp with blood oozing out of it, must've been something in the bite that made it so you couldn't stop bleeding. That, was also not good. Silk was the only pony who hadn't been injured, and she couldn't take all the approaching mutants. Crowding together, the 4 formed a box, flank to flank with each one in a fighting stance towards their defending direction.

Hearth said his prayers to the God above Celestia herself, and closed his eyes. Not feeling any impact, Hearth curiously opened his eyes, and immediately smiled from ear to ear.

The 4 ponies looked up in the skies, and gave a sigh of relief. The soldiers had finally arrived from Canterlot and they were screaming battle cries as they speared and stabbed their way through the beasts, of whom began to retreat through the town and into the Everfree forest.

* * *

"Commander Rainbow Mash! The mutants are retreating from Ponyville sir!"

"Thank you sergeant Coltfres, you're dismissed! Tell the Stallions to drink to high heaven tonight, for we have just won our first battle against the enemy!"

Bowing with a smirk, the green coated, pink maned Pegasus dashed off in a celebratory loop de loop, enticing cheers from the remaining ponies below that hadn't given chase towards the mutants running towards the forest.

Giving a sigh of relief, Commander Rainbow Mash asked his ancestors, "Not bad, for not having the Elements, huh great Grammy? Hope you're proud of me, for that shall be my greatest reward from this war."

Rainbow had a Rainbow Mane, like every single one of his ancestors, and had a Orange coat from his father, with a Cutie Mark depicting his signature weapon, the Scythe. He styled his mane in a brushed to the side, Cool is the word that described him. Just like his famous Element barer great grandma, Rainbow Dash. He wished she was here today with the other Elements, so he wouldn't have to be a Commander, he could be a stay at home dad with his son Rainbow Smash. But his Country came before family, that's how it had to be.

He had bade his beautiful wife, and spunky son goodbye as he had to enlist for the honor of their family towards this threat. If Rainbow were to die, he would die knowing he died protecting his wife Flashlight, and son. He could live with that thought, he could die with that thought.

* * *

"Sure got here late, huh? We took out around a 1/4 of these Tartarus spawn before they came around." Said an irritated Gusty.

"Better late than never, I shalt say." Said a small, tired voice that came from Luna.

Deciding not to say anything, Hearth simply smiled up at a green coated Pegasus doing celebratory tricks in the air.

"By the way, Thanks a billion Silky! You saved our flanks back there!"

"Oh Gusty, you would've done the same for me!" Tittered a blushing Silky.

WHY... THE BUCK... WAS SHE BLUSHING?!

Quickly changing his sight on Silky as she swiveled her head to look at him, as if expecting something.

Hearth told the group of 4, "C'mon guys, lets go thank the slowpokes." Hearth said before trotting towards the clustered guard group, with a noticeably downcast Silky trailing behind the quickly trotting ponies.

* * *

After introducing themselves to a nice enough Stallion named Rainbow Mash, the other 4 members of the group joined them.

"I'm so glad y'all are ok! I saw the varmits swarm ya, and it wasn't looking good!"

Taking a first glance at the rest of his friends, he assessed their injuries. Apple had a three clawed scratch on her cheek, Twilight had a swelling black eye, not that bad though. Midnight was bleeding heavily out of two gashes in her back, she would have to get that checked, and Cotton didn't appear to have any injuries, which didn't surprise Hearth that much. Cotton hadn't been in the brawl as much as they had been.

All together, Midnight was the only serious case, and you could tell just by watching her she needed to patch it up.

"Excuse me, Rainbow? My friend Midnight and Gusty here could use some medical attention on their gashes."

"Ya, I was thinking the same thing Hearth, MEDIC!" Rainbow said while motioning at a blue coated pony with a turquoise mane with a medical bag to come over to them. Explaining the situation to a pony named Healing Water with a cutie mark of a red cross with red water pouring onto it, he dragged Midnight and Gusty over to sit on fallen debris, wrapping tan bandage around her belly and back, while Gusty received a medicine swab on the wound.

"Thank you, for that and everything else, you saved our flanks back there!"

Smiling at the group, Rainbow was about to say something until something that didn't quite rack the 1st place for wackiest thing of the day, but was still pretty weird.

A hologram of a skinny Pegasus pony appeared in the center of the square, in front of the group of 9 ponies. He had sagging eyes that were Gold, with a gold mane and coat. Hearth assumed this was just the viewing side effect, everything was gold. The Pegasus was skinny, yet had a muscular jaw and hooves with not much weight in his wings, or body. Making him look like a muscular tooth pick. He would never have assumed who it was, until he spoke up with a bright smile.

"Hello, Hearth. I am Professor Gold, you may just call me gold. Although you might know me as MY subjects call me, the Father. I have heard of your, outburst do you call it? I am actually quite intrigued as a matter of fact, I have seen it in only ONE other pony, and I have inspected your File out of the foolish Pony Profiling database. No Mother? No Father? I sincerely doubt this, in fact I want you to come make some tests with me in my base. It is located in the Everfree forest, as I'm sure you predicted. I have sent one of my minions to wait for you in the place where you camped before entering the Everfree forest. Come alone, and I will shed as much lighting as I can on your heritage."

Seeing the shocked look on my face, Gold laughed heartily and then seemed to press a button on his side of the display. Making the hologram fade into nothing but little gold particles floating around in the air.


	14. Worth It?

**Hello my peeps! I wanted to give out a personal thanks to _me quazzy _for featuring my OC as a main side character in a story called, The Solar Empire VS The Lunar Republic check it out! I hear Hearth will actually be useful in that story... For real... Like actually is awesome... (Quietly Sobs.)**

* * *

All I could do was stand there and stare at where Gold had disappeared. My mind was whirring through all the things he had said in that hologram discussion, how did he know where I had slept before entering the forest? This was actually creeping me out, he could've finished me right then and there! Why didn't he? It didn't matter, he had to find out about who his father, and mother were. He had to go.

"Hearth, dear friend I know what you're thinking, don't do it." Without looking, Hearth knew it was Cotton begging him to stay.

"I agree with Cotton, Hearth this is obviously a trap!" Said an indignant Silky.

"At least you got to take SOMEPONY Hearth, you won't make it on your own!" Pleaded Gusty.

"Partner, we can do this! Let us come with you!" Spoke the ever helpful Apple.

"I agree with Cotton and Silky, what's the point Hearth? You don't have to-" Hearth cut off Midnight before she continued any further.

"I have to..." Turning towards the group he explained, "All of you KNOW what happened to your parents, you knew them before they passed, but me? I have no recollection of them, I didn't know them. I had no way of knowing, and now I have a chance to find out who they were. Nothing will stop me from doing this, so back off! I'm going alone, I don't give a damn if it's a trap, I HAVE TO GO!"

I was getting angry again, so quickly swallowing down my burst of anger at my friends trying to hold me back from what I had to do.

They knew what had happened to their parents, they told Hearth what had happened before the Orphanage. Silk's Father had been mugged, getting stabbed in the process. The Mother was jobless and sent her to the Orphanage to have a roof over her head, and food in her belly instead of having to live on the streets. Cotton's Mom was in Alcatrotz for stabbing her husband after a dispute, but at least he had gotton to know them before the Mother was sent away and the Father was buried in the Maneida morgue. Gusty's Mother and Father had committed suicide after receiving a extremely large Tax from the Government of the town, more than they could ever hope to raise. But they had Life Insurance, and so Gusty had used the Life Insurance money to transfer to the Maneida Orphanage.

When Hearth had told them his story, they had instantly knew he was the most affected in terms of heritage. Who wouldn't in his situation? The question of who always bugged him, he liked to imagine Hearth's Father would show up one day and embrace him in warm hooves and tell him to come back home, they missed him at the Dream Manor. (This was his imagination! Plus he always wanted to live in a mansion, so mysterious.) But that sadly never happened. Mother Soft had been a combined Mother/Father parent for him, never anypony else.

He wasn't going to let this chance slip by his hooves.

Not wanting to see his friend's expressions, he turned around and dashed through the rubble in the streets and made for the trail that lead to where he had slept before coming into town injured by the stupid flank trees.

Princess Twilight and his friends were about to dash after him, when black tendrils blocked their path.

Twilight blinked, then angrily said to Luna, "What are you doing Luna?! We cannot just simply let him trot into a trap like this!"

Hearth's friends agreed with gusto, until they were silenced by the Royal Canterlot voice. "ENOUGH!" White eyes filled Luna's eyes for a moment, before dissipating, silencing the group of 6 rioting friends. Returning to her normal tone, Luna told them before they began arguing again, "Hearth has made his decision, and you are his friends. I understand why you dislike his decision, but this is his choice. Not yours. I also hold distaste for his actions, but I can understand them."

This speech brought an uncomfortable haze upon the group, leaving them to ponder what would happen to their friend due to his choice of action.

* * *

It occurred to Hearth as he was running up the dirt road, that the group of ponies hadn't had the chance to check on the apple farm. Arriving at the white gates to the farm, he was surprised to see a few dead mutants leaking, something green into the apple soil. The dead mutants had either, to his disgust, broken ribs jutting out of their scaly/plumage/regular chests, or what looked like pitchfork stab marks. Looking down at the dead bodies empty open eyes, he wanted to cry.

There was so much death, so much just hanging in the air. The smell of their punctured skin made him feel noxious, it smelled like all the garbage in Equestria had been dumped down onto these maybe 5 dead mutants bodies. The only thing that kept him positive was no sign of regular blood that could've belonged to the Blooms, thank Celestia for that. Some trees had been knocked over, from the dead muscled mutant, Hearth suspected. Shaking his head and putting his hoof over his nostrils, he jumped over a dead bird pony that had pitchfork marks that seemed to have gone straight through the poor thing, and made his way towards the house in the distance.

To Hearth's immense relief, there was only one more dead mutant along the way there, another version of what looked like a turtle? It was off to the side of the trail, so he didn't pay it much mind. Arriving at the house, Hearth saw that the red barn doors had been bashed through, leaving little shards of the broken wood all over the ground in front of it. The house was in much better shape, there was only one window broken into in the upper part of the house, and there was green blood that was blocking out the rest of the window. A reckless Bird Pony that hadn't been expecting one of the Blooms to be on the other side of the window. The ground was torn up in places, marking indents of what I knew must've been bodies flung away from somewhere and rolling through the soil, before obviously getting back up.

Hearth saw that there was one bird mutant with a pitchfork through it, hanging off a branch from a nearby apple tree. Two more were slumped to the ground without movement, he couldn't see any stab marks or creepy ribs poking out of flesh. Knocked out. This should've scared me, but I just felt relieved. I had hated these things at first, but now I was starting to feel sympathetic. They obviously had no control over their actions anymore, the old pony selves were taken prisoners in their own bodies.

Looking away from the bodies, he trotted to the yellow wooden door that was the front entrance.

"HEY! BLOOMS! IT'S ME HEARTH!"

Before I had time to react, the door swung open and Storm instantly held a pitchfork between his front hooves 2 inches from my face. Seeing it was me, he smiled with relief and dropped it to the ground.

"Hearth! My boy, you look quite pale son. Come inside, that is if the attacks are over?" Nodding my head, he relaxed his shoulders and jaw, trotting into the dining room. Following him inside, he saw that there was a repeatedly stabbed wolf mutant dead in the place where the old wooden dining table used to be.

"Honey! Nectar! It's all over! We kicked their flanks! Now come downstairs!" Storm called up the stairs. Hearing a door slam shut, Nectar and Ground quickly ran down the stairs and had tears of joy in their eyes.

"Oh thank Celestia, no more blood will be on our hooves!" Seeing Hearth staring at the dead mutant, Ground smiled sadly. "He got in through the door, Nectar had to take care of him. Hearth, how are the town ponies doing? Where's our Apple Bloom?"

"Don't worry, Apple is fine Blooms." He told them, finally able to pry his eyes off the wolf mutant. "And the town ponies repelled the rest of these guys, we killed so many of them though... I'd estimate we took out 10 mutants for every one of us." This didn't comfort them though, they had seen how many bucking mutants had been attacking the town. They must've been counting themselves lucky with only around 15 attacking the farm.

The only reason the town ponies had been able to survive until the backup came was because they could use their minds to plan, think. These freaks couldn't think of anything but to kill whatever was in their way. But their numbers were so massive, they had gotten lucky with this battle. If the mutants ever got brains, everything Equestria had ever known would be burned and torn to ashes and rubble. They were fighting to keep the prosperity of the land and their ponies, they had a purpose. But it just seemed like the mutants were fighting just to fight. And if they truly couldn't think, then why had they retreated? Something was controlling them. That was clear now.

After a lapse of silence to organize his thoughts, he looked up at the family and smiled. "You did good, Blooms. I wish this war is going like this, but know you did what you have to do."

After hugging the family and assuring them Apple would come to them eventually, he set out onto the dirt road towards the forest once more.

* * *

There were many different tracking prints among the road to the forest, all seeming to head towards the dead woods. Not 2 days ago had Hearth layed his eyes on the Everfree forest, but there were already major changes occurring.

The dark brown colored bark had become a gray color. The branches were bare of leaves, now the trees seemed much more creepy, but less menacing. The fallen leaves had fallen onto the ground, now a dull brown color. As Hearth approached the forest, he saw that the leaves were literally shriveling into nothingness. Becoming smaller and smaller with each passing second, as if my very being was encouraging them to die.

Trotting past them, he felt strange knowing he had killed the entire forest. But it was housing evil, and he was the good guy... Right? He changed from a trot to a gallop past the wooden sentinels he had killed, trying to escape their glares of hate, and pain. I was going insane, I really was. I felt their glares, but whenever I looked at them, they closed their eyes. Shaking my head, I realized I had somehow arrived at the grove I had slept in. The marker I had placed with sticks was still there, but they began to sink into the ground as I approached.

Unable to bear it anymore, I screamed and ran onto the pathway.

This was for my missing memories.

This was the only thing that kept me going, only thing that kept me sane. That is if I hadn't lost my sanity yet.

As I stumbled through brambles and twigs that seemed to try to grab me, I ducked under one to be met with a glowing horn touching mine, teleporting us away from dying trees and squishy wet soil.

* * *

Appearing with a *CLUMP* onto what was metal footing by the sound.

Opening my eyes, I saw we were on a metal landing with a circular light shining down onto me, and my attacker. The ground beneath me was what appeared to be solid Gold, sparkling in the light. My attacker had landed next to me, and was silhouetted by darkness.

Quickly recovering, I charged my horn and pointed my horn at my opponent, to be met with humored laughter.

"Hearth, my friend. If I had wanted to kill you, I would've done it when my neuro-toxins were polluting your brain synapses. Not when we're going head to head! Now put that spell out, or my children here will."

Recognizing the voice from the hologram, I looked up. A Stallion stepped out of the shadows onto the area of light Hearth was in. Everything about him was gold, gold mane, gold coat, large gold eyes, smiling gold teeth, and even a Cutie Mark of a chunk of blood red Gold. This had to be the Father, or Professor Gold as he had told him on the hologram.

Quickly glancing around, Hearth saw yellow eyes peer out of the darkness at me.

"So, bringing your pets to a informative meeting? How rude."

Ignoring his comment, Gold clapped his hooves together and more lights filled the room. Alright, two freaky details for this place. The room was pure solid Gold! And there were Gigantic screens with numbers and calculations whizzing by on monitors, as a large box whirred loudly. A gargantuan Super Computer, that's what this bucking thing was. At the moment, there was a side screen in the corner of the screen showing a Gold Pegasus in a water vial with sucker cups attached to his skin with a breathing thingy ma bob on his mouth.

"What are you doing to that Pegasus?!"

"Well, I'm transforming him into something superior to the average pony... I'm thinking of mixing him with a field mouse! Won't that be fun?" He spoke as if he were picking what kind of candy he'd like, instead of what changes and pain the pony would go through.

"Your one sick bastard, you know that right Gold?"

"Last time I checked I had no illness, and I had decent parents with high degrees raising me. What's wrong with you Hearth? You're supposed to be smart!"

I wanted to yell that pretending to not understand my insults is just down right MEAN! But before I could yap out the words, the Pegasus on the screen started to try to claw his way out of the water tank as a green gaseous substance was released, blocking out the view of him from the Computer's camera. The Pegasus didn't want this to happen! He had been struggling, which meant he had no lust for this process occurring on his mind and body.

"Ah, here we are, my miracle at work. Ponies are so undeveloped Hearth, so weak, so fragile, so hopeless. But when you combine two species, you double the potential! Stronger, faster, and I'm in the process of refining their brain cells. They always go wacko when they inhale my gas, so sad." Emerging from the water came a Pony with a long pointed muzzle, like a rats, with tiny claws poking out of his hooves. His tail had been replaced by a thick pale pole sticking out of the Ex-Pegasus's rear. Gold hadn't been lying about turning the poor Stallion into a Field Mouse. "But when I sharpen their brain cells into acute Perfection, they will be perfect." Professor Gold continued with what Hearth identified as pride in his voice.

"... Enough of this Bull manure Goldy, what about my parents?" I wanted to inquire further about this bucked up process that was going on, with what Hearth now knew was involuntary patients being changed into these things. But that question was the whole entire reason he had come alone. To play by the rules, but something was telling Hearth this psychopath didn't play by the rules.

"Hmm? Oh yes, follow me if you'll be so kind." Gold trotted through the mutants, with them parting a path for him. Deciding that the mutants wouldn't give Hearth that kind of courtesy, he galloped to catch up.

With the crowd of freaks splitting apart, he saw that there were 2 different halls on either side of the room. The doors were giant and (Guess what a surprise this was?) gold, with a operator Octopus pony in a floating chair above the door to Hearth's left. The chair gave off a strange neon blue light, and hummed. I didn't know what to make of the futuristic technology, until some information I COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD broke through my stare at the anomaly.

"Yes, catch your fancy? My father invented a hover chair, but I took it one step forward. Instead of just simply floating, it can go forwards and backwards, up and down, or back or forth. My father was great, but I'll be the new generation! He wasted his talent on morals Hearth, MORALS!"

I could tell this dude held some major daddy issues over research, but I kept my yap shut as we began trotting up a golden incline of stairs towards the Super Computer. If I pissed Gold off, not only would I never find out about my parents, I'd never get out of this rat hole. If this was underground of course, I couldn't tell. No windows, the only light source was made by artificial sun lamps hanging from the ceiling. Life much? Not this Stallion. "He was wrong about everything, I know that. His research needed a voluntary Pony for the experiments, but none ever volunteered. Morals morals morals, yapped those cursed damn Princesses! He died from a BUCKING experiment on himself! He was so genius, and yet he always put the good of the ponies above himself! I still don't understand, I am above them all in intelligence! They should bow before me, and now? They do. I don't know why you are so Tartarus bent on finding out who your parents are Hearth... My mother left him before he conducted the test on himself, the coward of a Mare was afraid for something going wrong. He died with only ME! At age BUCKING 9! I had to say goodbye to the only pony who ever cared about my future, when I was a mere Colt!" Gold continued with a pained look on his face. Regret, anger, confused, and hurt.

For the first time, Hearth felt sympathy for this crazy Pony, he never had someone as an idol to lead him towards something great. Always having to do things and find things by himself, Hearth could partially understand the pain from the experience. Different because of never getting to be there for his father, and not knowing what kind of pony he was. Always had to paint a picture of him in his dreams...

"... Who was my father? And what happened to me in that battle?!" I asked below the slowly tilting forward, towards them, screen of displays and green variables and numbers whizzing by on the complex screen. An image flashed on the screen, of a pony that looked like Hearth, but the pony was much older. Hearth could feel the mutants behind him become restless for some reason, but I didn't pay attention to my surroundings out of interest towards the being on the screen.

He had a blazing orange mane, cherry red coat, but gray eyes with a stern expression on his features. He had a cutie mark of a black sphere with heat radiating in red waves around, the now apparent to Hearth, Black Fireball.

"W-what?! Who is this Gold?! GOLD?!" Whipping my head around, a metallic gold clip clasped itself around my horn and a gold rope cord wrapped around my hooves, knocking me off my hooves and smashing my face into the gold plated ground, (DAMN YOU GOD OF PAIN! WHY YOU HAVE TO BE SO DAMN MEAN?!) while at the same time being dragged into the air. Feeling disoriented, in pain, and confused, is not a good feeling. Just a little heads up if you are ever thrown into a bucked up and hopeless situation like I was. Before I could say anything, a gold plated hoof collided with my right temple, sailing me into darkness.

'How redundant can Fate be?' Was my final thought, having a recollection of Apple saving my blank-flank on the road.

* * *

_30 minutes before my flank whipping..._

"I don't care what that goth princess has to say, we need to go after him!" Gusty Gale finally spoke after a long pause in silence from the group of 6 thinking.

"Y'all right Gusty, Hearth needs us. He's just too stubborn to realize we aren't trying to make him stay because we don't want him to know... We can go in there, kick flank, get him, and get out." Apple agreed with spunk.

"HAH! No flaws with that plan, Farm girl." Laughed Silky with a demeaning glare at Apple.

"Y'all shut it Silk! The only reason I even put up with you is because of Hearth! Plus I do real work, you sit behind one of dem desks and complain about a hoof cramp!"

Hearing snickering behind her, Silky flushed and got in Apple's face. "Same here Mare, I don't dislike you because of your FILTHY work, in fact I have respect for it. But its obvious you put up with me, just to get Hearth's flank in your face!"

Silence, then fits of laughter from the 2 stallions observing the proceedings. An enraged Apple pushed her face back into Silk's, avoiding the horn and prepared to make a comeback. But was interrupted from a wise Alicorn watching the show.

"GIRLS! What is wrong with you?! We're supposed to be worrying about Hearth, not fighting over him!" Midnight said putting her hooves between the two bickering and shoving them apart.

Grumbles were made from both mares, but both agreed with her statement. Shaking her head, Midnight smiled and looked at the two still amused Stallions.

"I wanted to tell you anyhow, I put a tracking spell on Hearth. He's currently at the Apple Farm, inside the main house if I'm not mistaken. The other building is a barn I think..." Midnight looked at Apple who had her mouth open in horror. "Do not worry, he is having positive emotions from my spell telling me what he's thinking... The Blooms survived. Every one of them." Apple gratefully nodded at Midnight, with Midnight returning the gesture.

Perking up, Midnight's eyes widened from an alert tickling her mind telling her that Hearth had now left the farm. "Alright, he's going up a road, and he's starting to feel funny..." Midnight cringed at the weird feelings she was receiving in her mind, "We have to go now! He's in distress from something that's threatening him... I can't identify it though..." Clutching her head, Midnight started to sway back and forth.

"Alright, it appears our friend needs some assistance in his current predicament, may I suggest we get going?" Asked Cotton, slowly shifting his eyes around the group looking for some sort of fear. But none came, only confidence and concern were on the friends faces.

"Alright then we GO!" Cotton announced, plopping onto the back of Midnight once more, who only groaned and held her head with her hoof. Shaking her head for a second, she opened her now tired looking eyes and nodded while smiling at the Stallion on her back.

"I get Cotton, it seems... Gusty gets Apple again, and Silky?" Midnight finished with an awkward silence that came. Nopony could possibly carry two mares, and she knew this.

"Looks like your the odd one out, snob. Better stay behind and monitor my pet rock... Tom! That's his name! Take good care of him, he only needs your undying attention." Apple snickered while pointing her hoof at a random shard of rock that had come loose from a stone house nearby, which was in a strangely spherical shape for some odd reason.

Hanging her head, tears filled Silk's eyes as she slowly backed away from the group of now four, until she bumped into an angry Twilight staring at Apple.

"My subject! That was quite rude! I understand your in a feud... of sorts. But I will carry her, for I'm coming with! I don't care what Luna says, he needs us. That's a given with that idiotic and reckless Stallion." Silky smiled gratefully at the Princess, climbing onto her back. Apple looked ashamed for a moment, then looked up and climbed onto the back of Gusty.

"FOR HEARTH!" The group shouted, taking off. Getting attention from guards that raised their heads from the strange display of a what the group had considered epic take off.

"Well... That's the Princess with an iron hoof? I could've sworn on Celestia's crown this is some kind of adventure series, with all that's going on..."

The guard looked around, then laughed at the absurdity of that thought. "I really need to stop talking to myself, its like someponys listening to me... Creepy!"

* * *

Hearth woke up to a strange Gold light shining in his eye.

"Mother Soft Eyes... It's not even Morning yet! Get off my flank..."

His eyes cleared, and he saw Gold with two assistant mutants standing in front of him, Gold was smiling a normal smile. Like he had just opened the Christmas gifts, and found he had received a HEARTH-XXX-2000! gift from his chippy uncle Steve. Looking around, he couldn't even try to stifle the moan that escaped his lips as an incredibly painful headache came onto him.

"I haven't felt this hangover since... Awww buck it! How would I remember my last hangover?! Its the whole point of getting one, forgetting everything!"

As the feeling returned to his hooves, he felt a warm metal clasp attached to all 4 of his legs, and one around his horn. The gold light had been illuminating from a... Firefly Mutant? Waking up stuff must've been its only job... Poor dear... But Hearth didn't exactly feel inclined to be sympathetic as Gold began to pull out a short syringe from its perch on his ear, like a pencil. Only this was one bad flank looking syringe, no Ticonderoga brand yellow pencils he had used back in the orphanage's school program. Bummer.

Gold chuckled at my drowsy state, while flicking the syringe. "Well then Hearth, was all this worth seeing your poppa Fire for the first time? I wouldn't imagine so. Buck it all, you were supposed to be SMART! Highest scoring in all your classes at the orphanage, besides that bitch Hoarse... What's her face... Sulky as I recall, so are you ready to serve in my new army Hearth!"

"Buck you, and her names Silky Sensations flank hole!"

"Going out with flare, I like that. All my first experimental ponies were so terrified, pretty pathetic honestly. I'm thinking of making you into my prototype ya know Buddy... Once I teach my subjects how to think, and plan like your brilliant little active synapses... Thatll be the end of this war before its really started! Master Soul will be so pleased with me, he'll probably give me this entire bitching forest to mess around with! Now THAT'LL be fun!"

Grabbing Hearth's left hoof, he pointed the syringe with what I could now see as a clear sparkly liquid into his hoof. Before he pressed down, I had one last question. "Who's this bucking Master Soul you babble about?!"

Smiling, still looking just as normal and innocent as ever, Gold whispered in my ear, "He'll be the one to kill the Princesses, and claim this land for its own. He will gain their powers, and use them for good instead of this Tartarus ridden tyranny of Celestia and Luna, he is the pony who owns the shadows and grew up in them. He is the dawning power of this civilization, and nopony has any chance of stopping him." Finally showing madness in his gold eyes, the lunatic jabbed it deep into my hoof. But before he pressed down the tab to inject the liquid into my bloodstream, a loud explosion shook the room, causing the lights to flicker.

"Attention Professor Gold, emergency alert. 6 figures have breached the upper sanctum. Killing the guards in their wake, and are heading down the elevators towards the mid sanctum, where the tubes have yet to spawn their mutant compatriots." A miniature watch of what Hearth concluded was a mini Super Computer in his watch, spoke through a holographic face with 3 blue lines resembling a face of some sort with a background of pure white, with no muzzle or ears. No features beside two little squinting lines that must've been lines, and a long line that moved when the computer announced this disruption.

"Show the security elevator cameras!" Gold barked at the screen while the two mutants, quiet as a ghost, left the room and flexed their muscles threateningly.

Blinking once with both eye lines, a recording popped up showing Hearth's friends Silky, Gusty, Cotton, Midnight, Apple, and Princess Twilight waiting in an elevator. With audio it sounded something like this:

* * *

Gusty: Cans are fun to fly through ground!

Silky: Cans yip ...?... booty.

Cotton: avsdjg?kvfjasf.

Midnight: Flanks fluffy!

Twilight: Mice trophy heads!

Apple: Bloody Tartarus! I meant remote call ...?... Puffs!

* * *

"Creapona buck it all! Damn these audio equipment! After I quash this invasion, I need to order quality ones off of ABay... Put it on my shopping list Computer! Sorry Hearth, but our little doctors appointment is going to have to wait!" Switching needles from a metallic rolley stand near Hearth he had been too drunk to see before, he stabbed a needle into his skin with cloudy yellow water into my bloodstream.

My final thought this time was, 'I really hope that was not bucking pee!' before passing out for the second time in one day, PERSONAL RECORD!

* * *

**Hello again! Too lazy to go all the way up that mountain of typing I just got cramps from, THIS IS FOR YOU! I LOVE YOU PEOPLE! Anyhow, going to introduce a new OC in next chapter, wondering if anybody wanted to take a bullet and lend me their OC. I'll give credit to you and all that white noise, don't worry. PM me! Any OC will do, just give me a description and I'll make it work. THANKS!**


	15. RescueSabotageKick-Flank

**Thanks go to my buddy Zeal Amethyst for the use of his OC! And any OCs are accepted for later chapters, so keep em coming! Again, Thank you Zeal Amethyst!**

* * *

"Well buck me for saying so, but breaking in this mountain was too easy!" Gusty said to the ponies in the elevator, while leaning against the gold door, next to the gold button panel, next to the- (YOU GET IT RIGHT?! GOLD GOLD GOLD EVERYWHERE!)

The rescue group had flown to the place where Hearth was taken, being protected by the safety shield cast by Twilight to dissipate the madness spell placed on the woods. Feeling where Gold had taken Hearth, Midnight traced the signatures to a large strange figure deep in the forest.

Midnight had tracked Hearth's teleportation deep into a mountain sticking out of the surface of the Everfree forest, but Twilight could sense hefty amounts of electronics and equipment in the mountain. The group of 6 had broken through gold doors that were SUPPOSED to be programmed for a pony press a button, and the doors opened. Instead, giant freaking laser magic shooters popped out the vent above the golden doors and had almost taken their heads off, if not for Princess Twilight's incredible reflexes. She sure had a lot of experience in the field of things trying to kill her...

Breaking through with a melding spell from the Princess, around 15 surprised mutants in what appeared to be a spa, jumped out and tried to kill them. Making quick work with the mutants, red alarms were set off in an annoying repeating pattern of a metallic clanking sound. Galloping through a gold plated hallway, an elevator had arrived in the end of the hall, with mutants pouring out. Waiting for them all to escape the massive elevator, the group (with anxious stallions regretting the plan already) waited for all the mutants to be meters away. Silky, Midnight, and Twilight then teleported them all past the mutants and into an elevator with quickly closing doors. Gusty made a face and danced around at the dumbfounded mutants, before the doors shut all the way and they began to descend into the depths of the mountain.

The mountain had no name, for nopony ever went near the mountain due to the nightmare forest, and there was simply no point in climbing a mountain just for the Tartarus of climbing a mountain! This must have been what Gold had enjoyed about the placing of his surprisingly expansive base with defenses and gadgets, he was out of the way. Nopony would bother him, until he was ready to unleash his creations upon the land.

"Look at this y'all!" Apple exclaimed looking through a window that had somehow appeared in the elevator. Looking through the window, the assorted ponies jaws dropped open and their eyes bulged. The room the ponies elevator was traveling through went for miles in each direction, with canisters of green liquids stored in Gold containers with holographic windows. So that's what these windows were, kind of like an x-ray, but you could see colors through it, creating a window effect. Damn this doctor, he was such a bucking genius, yet so wrong with his devilish actions. There were mutants patrolling with blank, emotionless faces along the containers. Again, the mutants were all different, but these looked even more dangerous.

They were mixed with things nopony had ever seen before. Like a strange diamond pony with fur sprouting through the diamond, LIVING DIAMOND?! Or a creature with black fur and wide eyes, yet somehow the hooves had sprouted little gray squiggly worms. One of these species had gray on his back, and was noticeably more prideful, carrying himself on his hooves on the bulging knuckles of the strange hooves. Plus hundreds of different species roaming around, almost like they were robotic in movement.

"Wholly manure! What is that green stuff?!" Gusty yelled at the containers, with the guards taking no notice of his ranting.

"Hmm... This looks like the blood that came out of them whenever we killed one. I speculate this must be what supplies the mutants bloodstream. Interesting..." Spoke Silky while squinting her eyes with fascination at the liquid green canisters.

"I think your right Silk, this is where they store this strange substance to create these mutants. If we could somehow break through this elevator..." Agreed Cotton with an equally interested expression.

"Negative my companions, this will take too up too much time! Hearth must be saved as quickly as possible, this is simply the substance to create the mutants. If there were ponies in this stuff, it'd be a different story, but there's nothing that needs saving at the moment. Hearth is the priority at the moment." Midnight calmly said to the crazy Gust and the brainiacs.

"As much as I dislike this, Midnight is right. We cannot waste any time! We take care of Gold and save anypony in the mutation operation, my subjects need saving more than these canisters need destroying." Twilight said with determination.

"A'hgreed Princess! Lets stomp this varmit Gold right into the ground! We'll always come up as the winners with each other, vs. any number of mutants we face!" Apple cheered, causing hope to rise into the chests of the gathered friends. (Less so from Silky, but I think we all saw this coming.)

Nodding at one another, the elevator gave a lurch, and sped below the gigantic storage room and into the next chamber below.

Speeding under the gold floor, the elevator window was black for a moment, from passing stone or soil meant they were traveling deeper into the mountain. Finally, a golden light impaired their vision from brightness, making them flinch. Silky was the first to open her eyes, and immediately went pale.

There was thousands of pill shaped glass containers with the green liquid from above being sent down a tube and into the containers below. Inside were mutants feeding on the liquid through plastic flasks, seeming to drink the liquid like soda through a straw. Most containers were empty, but many had occupants of all varieties of mutant.

There was a collective gasps from the spectators of the strangely horrifying image of the mutants being fed, drinking, whatever the BUCK it was. This wasn't normal, this was like the ponies were some kind of ANIMAL.

"What is this place?!" Apple screamed at the ponies in their feeding tanks, before having what looked like a thought entering her mind. "This is what fuels them, the sap from that mother tree. THAT'S what's fueling these things!"

Hearing this sparked a realization in Silky as well, "That's what that lizard thing that attacked Hearth at the hotel meant, the trees weren't the only thing that the mother Saragaunt fueled!" Referring to Hearth telling the council about his incident about the attack at the hotel.

Smiling at Silky, Apple kept on going, "And Gold got the DNA from dem critters the Mother Saragaunt was controlling as well, and the DNA was already mutated from the trees grasp on them!"

Finishing for the two, Silky agreed, "And that's how he was able to create this factory, he used the tunnels underground the Saragaunts created to traverse between under the already hollow mountain and the forest!"

The two supposed geniuses jumped around for a second, before realizing they had just cooperated. Blushing and turning away with annoyed faces.

Gusty and Cotton had found the spectacle between the fighting duo funny before, but this time it was just sad. It was obvious now the two had many personality relations. Both were intelligent, both worked hard for a living, and both had a crush on the same Stallion. This last factor is the only thing that they seemed to quarrel about, they would've been best friends if this weren't the case! Just plain sad for the onlookers to see.

"... We have to take these containers out!" Spoke up Twilight through the unfriendly haze between Silk and Apple.

"But you said that-" Chirped Gusty, being interrupted by her next words.

"There are at least 2,000 mutants feasting here! We might stunt them, or even be able to destroy all ways for them to feed! This will stop them in their tracks, Gold wont be able to create more feeding containers before nearly all of the mutants have starved to death! This could reduce the enemies numbers by an entire THIRD!"

Her logic seemed to make sense to the rescue/recently sabotage ponies. Recieveing no objections, Twilight turned towards the gold walls of the elevator, and burst a hole through the side with an explosion of purple residue from her magic use.

"I'll destroy these containers my little ponies, rescue Hearth and find your way to the surface! For I will be waiting!" Before anypony could register what she was about to do, Twilight saluted her new friends and did a backflip through the hole in the elevator, right before a new layer of soil and stone blackened the view of the underground rooms.

"Celestia, that mare has MOVES!" Yipped an amazed Gusty Gale.

"But can we really do this ourselves? She was the strongest of all of us! If more mutants come that we can't handle..." Whispered Silky into the pitch black elevator.

"WE can handle them Silky, but I doubt you can." Spoke a SLIGHTLY hopeful Apple.

Before more bickering could come, they entered the final floor out of the three sections of the mountain.

The 5 assorted ponies looked through the (Still slightly smoldering) hole Twilight had made, down at the ground below.

There was lights hanging from poles in the gold plated walls, or lightning bugs flying around. The elevator was going towards a platform around 10 meters feet above the ground, with gold plated poles sticking into the ground, acting as the base of the structure. From above, the pathway platform went forward onto a giant circular middle, with what looked like Professor Gold standing in the middle of the middle platform with a bleach white lab coat on top of his golden coat. Oh, by the way, there was about 3,000 mutants standing below under the massive elongated platform.

With the elevator reaching the start of the long way towards the psycho, the group of 5 jumped through the hole and brought their hooves up in a defensive pattern, expecting an attack. But none came. The mutants just stood there and stared at the intruders with glowing yellow eyes and sour expressions, but made no attempt to attack them. Even the bird ponies just simply watched, as if they were glued to the spot.

"Alright, creeped out here!" Whispered Cotton over his shoulder to the others, each facing a different direction.

"Your right Cotton, what the buck is wrong with them? I would want a piece of me, who wouldn't?" Joked Gusty rather loud, as if mocking the assembly of mutants.

"As humorous as that is, Gale? Promptly shut up, it seems as if they aren't Tartarus bent on ripping us apart, so don't insult them with your body." Whispered Midnight into his ear, bringing a blush and a little bit of a hurt expression to his face.

Getting carefully down onto all fours again, the group faced forward and trotted increasingly fast towards the prone figure with his eyes closed. Almost looking like a Golden Statue, fit for a Devil's garden. After traveling up to the center platform above the crowd of mutants, they stood not 5 meters away from the silent professor.

"Alright you fiend! Where's Hearth!" Shouted Silky, causing the sounds of her words to echo around the room.

Finally moving, Gold stretched out his neck and rolled it from side to side. "And SOMEPONY ruins my daily yoga routine! Celestia damn it you ponies are annonying, can't a genius get his muscles relaxed for once?" Seeing their confused expressions he laughed and shook his head. "I suppose not, don't worry about your friend Hearth. I have to deal with you until I deal with him, why might you ask? The bad pony always procrastinates to make it even more painful for your afterlife when you see me TRANSFORM THE BASTARD INTO ONE OF MY SUBJECTS!"

Gold was now standing up, and with a wave, his lab coat flew off of him. Revealing a mechanism attached to his chest, wings, and connecting to the tip of his front and rear hooves. Waving his hoof in front of his face, the mechanical invention flared outward a mechanical light.

Clucking his tongue, he smiled at them. "Catch your fancy, don't it? Yup, you have YOUR magic, and I have mine." Warming the mechanical glove up, Gold pointed it at a mutant and shot it right between the eyes. The mutants stepped aside, forming a silent circle around their fallen comrade. The 5 friends gasped at the pure cruelty of shooting one of his own, until a gold film started to envelop the mutant, swallowing it up and leaving a gold statue where it used to stand. But strangely, there was no point on the mutant's head where there was any sign of magic being shot into it.

"I call them Gold's gold converter gloves! The markets just... Awful at the moment so I think I'll hold off a bit to put them on the market, y'know... Sale value."

"Hold on there Gold, if you sell them now, before the war? Man thatll be a great way to sell to BOTH sides!" Put in Gust with a fake advertiser pony voice. "OOOoohhhh, is that why everything in here is gold? Man, sale my flank! Just blast a few pebbles with those things and you'll be rich!"

Staring at Gusty, Gold got an angry expression and fired two shots straight at him. Gold had obvious practice using this stuff.

Silky grabbed him and teleported away, moments before Gusty became a beautiful gold work of art. Taking the opportunity, Midnight fired a freezing spell at Gold. He simply flew into the air and used what looked like freaking JET PACK BOOTS?! to melt the spell before it came in contact, firing razor sharp shards of gold out of his wings in the process.

While Midnight flew into the air to avoid the shrapnel, Gold fired golden cord out of his chest mechanism down below at the two on looking Earth ponies. Catching Cotton off guard and looping around his legs, bringing him to the ground. Before Cotton could get dragged into the air, Apple Bloom grabbed onto the cord with her hooves and with as much strength as she could muster, yanked the golden thread. But before the Professor completely lost balance, he pressed a button and ejected the cord from his chest. Causing the two struggling ponies to fall backwards over the circular platform.

Giving a cry of shock, Midnight flew down towards the place where they had fallen. Seeing this Gold powered up his machine and cried in celebration, shooting gold transformation bullets at Midnight's flank. Before they hit her, Gusty side tackled her out of the air and landing near the edge of the platform. Aimign both of his hooves at the ponies on the platform, Gold charged his hooves up and *SMACK* went Silky's chop onto his neck. Sending the two falling and hitting the platform with another *SMACK* ending the conflict for a few brief seconds.

Gold tried to get up, but was then electrocuted by the malfunctioning wing mechanisms, forcing him back to the ground. Ejecting the mechanisms off of him with the press of a red button attached to them, the wing gloves shot off the platform and into the group of mutants below. Raising his Gold's gold converter gloves, he aimed them straight at Silky, who was currently slumped on the platform unconscious.

"Go help Apple and Cotton, Gust!" Midnight told the Stallion who was on top of her, before shoving him off and bashing Gold in the gut with her head.

Rushing to the edge of the gold circular platform, he saw Apple and Cotton dangling from the Golden cord hooked around a bright lamp close to the platform, with Cotton hanging onto her rear legs for dear life.

"Alright, no jiffy you guys! Gusty is here to save you now, and mock you later!" He said while spreading his wings and propelling himself forward to grab the cord, slowly lifting them over to the platform once again. The mutants below seemed to sigh in depression, they really needed posters of kittens hanging onto string entitled, 'HANG IN THERE!'

They were heavy, but he eventually got them all to the other side just as a Midnight triumphantly put her front left hoof on the (Severely bruised) Professor Gold, who was smiling for some reason. With a pained expression, Gold told the 4 conscious ponies,

"D-damn you ponies, your better than I thought you would be. But are you forgetting where you are? Even if you kill me there's no way that youll escape with your lives! My mutants are waiting for my command, and I give it... NOW!" He shouted with his remaining energy, before laying back and looking up at the ceiling lights with a strangely happy expression on his face.

"Fine! We'll take you with us Gold!" Midnight said, pushing her hoof onto his face with increasing force.

"Midnight!" Shouted a recovered Silky with a swollen eye, and a bruised forehead. "Stop! We're not like them! Have Mercy!"

Hearing Silk's words, Midnight looked back at Gold, and removed her hoof with a grunt.

"Guys! Look down at them!" Cotton shouted over to the group, peering over the edge at the mutants who had started to blink, seeming to awake from slumber.

"NOT GOOD!" Cried Gusty, seeing the situation. "We haven't found Hearth yet either! What do we do?!"

Apple looked around and took note of the surroundings. Two golden plated doors on either side of the room, a whirring machine in front of them that was now making humming sounds, and a control panel under the platforms near a mutant that had a ball cap on. Security? Apple didn't know what the mutant was, but she knew enough to press the control button before it woke up from its nap.

"Button! I'll press it, and we make a break for the doors!" Apple rapidly explained, before hopping down to the floor below, ignoring the immense pain from such a drastic fall. Nothing sprained or broken, Princess Celestia seemed to finally show a bout of favor to the party of ponies. Dashing to the control panel, pushing past drowsy mutants, she pressed the red button, HARD! Hearing a mechanical whir from above, she looked up and saw that two side platforms had extended a good 15 meters to the doorways, retracting the one to the hovering elevator. As well as opening the gold plated mechanical doors.

One mutant awoke behind of her and put her in a head lock, but Gusty was on the job. He flew down and kicked the mutant in the face, and grabbed her flailing hooves and flew her up to the platform, galloping into the nearest doorway. But the doors started to close, and looking past them, Gusty and Apple realized their friends had chosen the other doorway. And it too was closing.

Before they could go after their friends on the opposite side, the doors slammed close, leaving them in darkness.

Then an announcement rang through the intercom from that doo hickey computer in the other room,

"Attention Mutants and Professor Gold! Mutant Food Storage in Middle Sanctum has been breached, activation of emergency electric storage will commence in 3... 2... 1..."

When the lights came on, the two looked around and realized they were in a gold plated hallway with one door at the end of the hall...

"That's weird huh? So much security, for one little door? Seems pretty corky to me... What's in there? OOOHHH! MAYBE ITS HEARTH! C'mon Apple!" Gusty rambled, until dashing down the hallway. Whether or not the mutants could work the door panels scared Apple, but better to be farther away from the doors than closer, Apple thought. Galloping to catch up with the energetic Sky Blue coated Pegasus, she for the first time felt more confident with the mission.

* * *

"Aww, poo." Spoke the COMPLETELY vulgar Cotton towards the closed Golden doors while in the dark.

With an announcement from the computer outside, the lights came on, revealing the 4 ponies... Wait 4?!

"Yes you guys, I brought him with us, what was I supposed to do!" Said an exasperated Silky, pointing with her hoof at the unconscious form of Professor Gold in her white telekinetic grip.

"Ugh, fine Silky. Do what you like, your bucking crazy though mare!" Midnight told Silk, rolling her eyes in the process. "But your nobility issues are going to get us killed! When he wakes up and snaps, ummm... Cotton's neck, don't blame me!"

With a slightly frightened Cotton, they examined the room and instantly smiled. Hearth was strapped into a Golden hospital stroller with his tongue hanging out of his muzzle and a lapidazical happy look on his sleeping face. Drugs.

"Hearth!" They exclaimed as they ran to him, with Midnight melding off the golden locks.

Under Silk's eyes, he didn't look any different, except for maybe the swelling black bruise next to his temple. His mane was still in that tousled, random order, but was still sort of cute. Laid out on the stretcher like he was, with his back to the stretcher and his stomach facing them with his hooves pointing straight to the ground due to the locks on them, she could see that he was having a steady intake of breath. Good, he'll be easy to wake up.

"C'mon Hearth, wake up now!" Silky was yelling into his ear, which actually made the sleeping figure wince, then slowly open his eyes.

When he came back to the land of the living, he groaned and lifted his freed left hoof to his forehead. "Buck off Gold, you flank hole, when I get out I'm going to-" As he fully opened his eyes, he saw who it was and grinned that crooked smile that made her heart leap into her throat.

"Well howdy you guys, thought you'd never get here ya bunch of lazes! How'd you find me?" He chirped, despite looking sleepier than she had ever seen him.

"I put a tracking spell on your damn flank you reckless rock head!" Midnight yelled over the sounds of her horn melting through the other hoof lock, sending the gold contraption clattering to the floor.

Flexing his other front hoof, he brought his hooves up to his horn, and ripped the magical blockade off his horn.

"Geez! How'd you do that Hearth? I'm an Earth Pony and I can't rip through this stuff!" Cotton stuttered, with amazement in his eyes.

"Don't you know? Golds the softest metal out there, I'm not ripping through it, I'm bending it into a wider shape." Hearth said with a voice that actually sounded like one of Silk's Language instructors in Hayvard, the most prestigious school in Equestria. Which confused Silky, she never bought Hearth for the intelligent type until she heard him in that voice.

Shrugging off the incident, Cotton trotted over to Hearth bent the gold into a shape to remove the rear leg cuff with Midnight finishing cutting through the other hoof's cuff.

With both gold cuffs clanking to the ground, Hearth climbed out of the stretcher and landed on all fours, stretching out his neck and legs. After a few seconds of stretching, Hearth cocked his head at the slumped form of Professor Gold and smirked while saying, "Alright Gold, you can quit the act. I know your not unconscious, don't worry buddy. We wont hurt you."

Receiving a confused look from the group, they jumped when a sigh came from Gold. The prone form sat up and watched Hearth with interest.

A brief silence entered the room, until Midnight took initiative.

"Gold! Where is the way out of this Tartarus hole! There's no vents, or escape ducts! Where's the exit?!"

Without looking around, Hearth knew there was no way out except the golden blast doors. This must've been the special patient room, which meant that if the patient escaped, they'd have a straight ticket out of this place. The professor was way too smart to put an escape in this room.

"Dear Midnight, there is none. Well done though, you took me down, and the computer said you only had a 5.5% chance of killing me in my mechanical form... Damn statistics, always going bad when you don't want them to, and going right when you don't want to be right. Ironic as buck in my opinion... Hope all this was worth it Hearth because your not getting out of this place you buc-" He was interrupted by Hearth telekinetically lifting up the super computer watch off his wrist.

Thinking of an idea, Hearth spoke into the mic with as much of an impersonation as the Professor as possible, "Computer, remind me. Is there a protocol to eliminate my mutants lives? For they are rioting."

Receiving an immediate response, "Yes Professor Gold. Protocol Rebel Red, this protocol is when I shall emit a sub sonic wave that evaporates all liquid blood pumped into the mutants, removing all Plasma oil inside specimen."

Hearth didn't understand a bucking word of that except evaporate life blood of the mutants, that sounded like it might help a little bit. Opening his mouth to speak the command, he was side tackled by Gold. Knocking them to the ground and sending the watch flying into the air. Before conflict could break out, Cotton bucked Gold right in the face, knocking him backwards and making his eyes roll into the back of his head. Silky caught the watch right before it hit the ground and tossed it back to Hearth. Nodding his thanks to them, he spoke into the mic.

"Computer, initiate Protocol Rebel Red."

"Yes sir Professor Gold, initiating protocol in 3... 2... 1..."

* * *

At the doorway at the end of the gold plated hall, there was a lever beside the door that seemed like it could take the combined power of the Princesses and withstand it. Gusty quickly pulled the lever down, and with that came the sound of gears cranking and shifting behind the door, until it reached its climax and stopped. Leaving a little creak in the door, indicating it was now unlocked.

Nodding to each other in confirmation to going through the doorway, Apple and Gusty pushed open the door, striking a fighting stance on their rear hooves as they burst through the doors. But no attack came, in fact the giant gold plated 15 meter tall ceiling and walls room was deserted. Looking around, they saw there was a giant aquarium at the opposite end of the room with clouded water caused by thousands of green bubbles continuously floating up through a vent somewhere below the tank. But that's not what caught their attention, a dark silhouette of a pony was behind the bubbles.

Ripping her eyes off the tank, Apple saw that there was a control station facing the tank with assorted buttons and another lever in the middle of the button panel. There was also a comfy padded black chair behind the button panel with a pole sticking into the ground, indicating it could spin. COOL!

"Is that a mutant in there? I cant tell... What do you think Apple?" Gusty whispered into her ear, keeping an eye on the scene before him.

"I dunno partner, I cant tell what that feller is yet, lets get closer." Apple whispered back.

Getting down on all fours, the duo cautiously approached the control station, until Gusty decided it was safe and flew up to plop down into the plush black chair. Rolling her eyes at the foolish approach of the Pegasus, Apple trotted up to the panel. Hearing Gusty mutter something about bull manure on resale value, Apple read a small print under the lever.

'DO NOT PULL DOWN! LEVER RELEASES PROJECT Z'

Looking at the label as well, Gusty commented, "What's that? Is that a who? Is that what's in the tank?... Why am I asking you? You and I both don't know, so lets find out!" Before Apple could warn him against pulling the lever down, guess what he did? Pulled the lever down.

Looking back up at the tank, they saw vents open up from both sides of the tank, sucking the green pollution and bubbles into the vents, giving them a clear view of what was inside. It was a pony, a Unicorn Stallion by the looks of it. He had his eyes closed and had little suckers detach from his skin, floating off into little holes where they disappeared, with a breathing mask on his muzzle with a tube reaching out of the water.

Squinting her eyes through the water, Apple examined the details of the mysterious Stallion. He had a gleaming purple coat, shining in the lights that illuminated the tank, with an even darker shade of purple as his mane and tail. Streaks of black ran down its mane and tail as well, giving the main a multicolored appearance. But the Cutie Mark is what intrigued them the most. It depicted a triple mark of a Treble Clef note inside of a red heart with a bronze gear in the corner of the heart. Triple Cutie Mark? That was odd, rare even. Usually ponies got one or two, then done. But there weren't a lot of cases of multiple Cutie Marks.

Slowly opening his eyes, the Stallion looked around with bright Purple eyes, until fixing his eyes on the two ponies with terrified, yet intrigued expressions outside of the tank. Realizing what was going on, he powered his horn and created a purple hammer of what looked like pure purple energy, to slam it through the glass. Sending shards shooting through the room with water pouring out of the hole created. Gusty had been smart enough to pick Apple up the instant the mysterious Stallion had created the weapon, flying her up high enough to avoid the glass from impaling them.

Hovering in the air, they saw that the Stallion had gone with the water out of the aquarium and was standing still staring up at them with an expression of confusion.

"You two up there! Your not the ones who put me in there, so what are you doing here?" The Stallion spoke with a calm voice, and a cheery tone.

"Hehe, I thought you'd be one of these evil bastards, Z?" Gusty called down to him, while flying them both cautiously down to the ground.

"Them?" He actually seemed perplexed, which did not make much sense.

"What's your name partner?" Apple asked for the first time, tipping her Stetson to the new pony.

"My names Zeal Amethyst, I came here for a Gold guy asking me to fix something for him, some kind of computer. Right when I finished, he knocked me out and now I'm waking up to you two staring at me like your choosing what fish to put in your aquarium... Where is that bastard Gold?! He forgot my Celestia bucking TIP!"

Gusty smiled at Zeal and asked, "Yah ok, he brought you here then tried to turn you, but why put you in this giant aquarium?"

Zeal's ears drooped and he shyly dragged his hoof along the gold plated floor before sighing and looking back up at them.

"I have powers, powers other ponies don't. I guess he wanted to buck me up with his experiments, what were his experiments again?"

Taking turns informing the Stallion about the circumstances, they saw many expressions cross his face, but one stood out above the rest. Fear. They couldn't imagine what he was thinking, of what kind of friends and family that were affected back at Ponyville without his help. Finishing the story, he looked at them, HARD. Probably to determine whether or not they were lying. Finally shaking his head, he explained.

"When I was born, I was always different. I felt things, did things differently than the other Unicorns. I could create things with my magic, solid things out of my pure energy and creativity. That was deemed impossible by most scholars to create things out of pure Magic ENERGY, regular things were a different matter. But as if I weren't weird enough, I could hear machines, feel them, I felt like they were alive. I even talked to some for awhile until I figured I must be crazy and stopped, I still hear them. But I just had a grasp on machinery, I know how they work just by looking at them, its weird. Nopony knew why back then when my parents loved, but feared me. I grew up being the oddball, the Professor must've known about my abilities somehow. Wanted to see if mutated me could yield results such as before in my regular form. But I don't want to be evil like him, I have a heart! Now lets escape and help your friend Hearth!"

"Quite a story there, feller. But do you really want to help us? We just met you and all..."

"Be quiet, Apple was it?" Receiving a nod from her, he continued, "I know where a ponies heart lay, part of my weirdness. And I can feel your morals are strong, and that your heart is in the right place. Your the good guys, and so am I. So lets do this!"

Before Apple or Gusty could react, he grabbed them into a tight hug. Releasing them, he dashed past them towards the doorway on a purple cloud? Deciding they better get used to this guy, they galloped after him and through the mechanical doors, reaching the end of the hall.

Hearing a strange noise emanate from the neighboring room, they stopped in their tracks as they heard pain filled cries of mutants echo through the door. Zeal was about to bust though the door, when it opened for them. Revealing the other 4 ponies, with an unconscious Professor Gold in Midnight's Magical grip.

"Who's he?" Was the first thing out of Silk's mouth, examining the new member to appear.

"Doesn't matter, he's one of us. I'm Hearth bro, and before we can have a cup of tea and get to know each other, may I suggest we get the BUCK out of here?!"

The others nodded in agreement and trotted out of the hallway and galloped into the middle of the gold circular platform, facing the elevator mysteriously hanging in the air above the mutants.

"We gotta get there you guys! What do we-" Gusty yelled over the buzzing noise before a groaning sound resonated, and the mini platform shot out of the large one. Placing itself just inches away from the golden elevator with the hole.

"What the-"

"That was me! No time to explain, c'mon! That's our ticket out!" Zeal yelled over the increasing noise of the buzzer in the giant super computer behind them.

Taking his advice, the group galloped as fast as they could down the platform and jumped into the elevator. Pressing the button to go up multiple times, nothing happened.

"Damn this energy surge! What now?!" Exclaimed Silky above the increasingly painful by the second noise, even to the ponies it was starting to become unbearable.

"I-I can't work it for some reason!" Zeal cried over the white noise with his hooves being placed into each of his ears.

"Think! What do we-" Cotton began before the elevator shot straight up, faster than it had before with a magenta purple glow enveloping it.

"Buck ya Princess Twilight! That's the way partner!" Apple yipped, dancing around in the elevator with the noise receding below them, reducing it to a dull hum.

"Phew, that was a close one. Despite the fact Twilights going to rub it in my face that she saved my flank..." Mumbled Hearth above the celebratory dancing and whooping from his friends.

"How many ponies am I going to have to repay with my life now?! 2! That's how many!" Yelled an angered Midnight, which brought smiles to their faces.

Reaching the upper sanctum, they wobbly stepped out of the elevator and collapsed out of tension on the golden plated ground with a tired, yet smiling Princess Twilight standing above them.

"Glad to see you back Hearth, you bucking idiot. Thought I'd leave you all back there? No thanks, I heard that noise even with the alarms blaring in middle sanctum, what happened? And who's this Purple Stallion?"

"We'll explain later Princess, but for now? Lets go celebrate with Cider!" Hearth said, tiredly smiling up at his friend who was helping them to their hooves with her magic.


	16. Celebrations And Recollections

**Hello my faithful readers, or new readers! Just wanted to say that I'm holding a Poll on my profile about a subject I need your help with, so please check it out if you can, and yeah. Enjoy the story! This one is going to be a rare one without much conflict! Backround stories shalt begin!**

* * *

"Remarkable story, my dear Twilight Sparkle!" Princess Celestia said after Twilight recollected the events in Gold's base with her good friend, and old teacher.

"That's what I thought, and Princess? This was all to discover the poor Stallion's missing birth parents... Can you find them for him?" Twilight asked, sipping on a cup of tea in the balcony with plaster white marble on the walls and Ceiling, making the moonlight glare brightly into the room. Celestia was sitting in her chair with a similar purple rimmed porcelain tea cup floating in her telekinetic grip, with a sad smile on her face.

"I'm sorry my ever treasured friend, but I cannot do this. I can raise the sun, but I cannot see all of my subjects under it. Especially those who choose the shade over my bright sun." Shaking her head, Celestia sighed and took a sip from her tea cup before pouring more tea from the large purple painted tea pourer.

Looking at Princess Celestia, Twilight felt so young and inexperienced as a ruler, she felt like she was just an add on of a Princess. She did not do much except pass laws parallel to magic or something of the sort. Looking at Celestia, Twilight could see the elegant way she held herself, the poise. The wisdom in her soft, yet old eyes. The way she could make the right decision for her subjects and not just for herself, she was a true leader of Equestria. What was Twilight doing assuming equal rights as her mentor?

Celestia's fur was the bleach colored white of a true Goddess, with waves of beauty practically emanating from her. Her mane flowed like a river of multicolored rainbows, giving her a graceful look. Her eyes were a calm purple, which had the affect of making you feel calm and relaxed, like you could talk to her about anything. And her smile was so small, yet it gave off the heat of the sun and made you feel like you were sitting in front of a warm fire all cozied up in a woolen blanket. Yet she was so powerful, Twilight was the master of magic, Twilight was stronger of course. Yet Celestia had a different energy from her own, more refined and controlled. And when she laughed, it made you laugh along out of happiness towards something you couldn't describe. Her Cutie Mark was a sign of the Sun radiating rays of bright orange. Her crown was golden and held a shard of what seemed like Amythest behind her elongated White horn that gave out a yellow glow as she poured more tea into her cup.

Luna on the other hand, she was basically the opposite, for obvious reasons. (Sun/Moon, you get the point.) Luna had ice blue eyes that seemed to penetrate into you, and made you feel like you wanted to crawl under a rock and hide. She always seemed to peer at you, but when she didn't, you couldn't help but love her. She was serious about governing her subjects, this was understandable. Her mane flowed like a river of stars, making it feel like you were looking out the window of a space ship in the middle of orbit. Her smile was calm, yet tensed as though to show she would cut your throat if you so dared as took her pop tart. She had a coat that was a dark shape of purple, and a Cutie Mark of a yellow crescent moon in the middle of a starry sky. She was always prepared for the best, but expecting the worst. She would've been a true camper, if she ever took any interest in it. Her crown was a simple black color, simply mysterious though. She didn't care about appearances, this is what probably was what made her so effortlessly beautiful.

"If I may say something, dear friend and sister?" Luna spoke for the first time from her perch in her black official looking chair at the tea table. "Our prisoner Gold, do you really think think this 'Master' of his will not move to rescue him from the dungeons? He seems like an asset to their army after all... Im just concerned they will attack and rescue him... There has been rumors of thine guards being traitors dear sister."

After the retrieval of their friend Hearth Fire, Twilight had brought the unconscious figure of Professor Gold to the dungeons of Princess Celestia's castle, where he would be locked up for good. Hearth and his friends had decided to go back to Ponyville, to supposedly as Hearth put it, 'Party till he couldn't tell the difference between his hoof and the mug he was drinking cider from. With these thoughts came the consideration of their imprisonment choice for the key figure in the enemies army. Alcatrotz was too public, and besides. Their dungeon's inmates were far fewer in number, so riots would be easier to quell. But through these rumors Princess Luna had been hearing, traitors in their mist? This did not sit well with the apprentice Princess of Magic.

"Traitors Luna? My guards are well paid, well protected, and well fed. Why would there be traitors?" said Princess Celestia with confusion in her voice.

"I do not know the reasons, sister. But what I _do_ know about this cult of these enemies of ours... They are Tartarus bent to take us down, and if they agree with the cause they will do anything. No matter how dishonorable or shame ridden. Thine enemies are clever, and it is obvious they will fight till their last breaths." Luna announced slamming her hoof down on the table, shaking the table.

Glaring at her younger sister, Celestia opened her mouth to begin an argument.

Rolling her eyes, Twilight sunk back into her chair, attempting to hide from her Princess friends. Watching the two siblings quarrel about strategies and loyalties, she wondered what her other friends were doing at that exact moment.

* * *

"Your on Hearth, I bet 5 bits I can beat you!" A drunk Silky wagered, putting 5 bits on the table from a pouch around her flank. Hearth had just beaten everypony at the table at a game of chess, with the exception of Silky who had been silently drinking cider and observing his tactics.

"Your on!" Hearth said, grinning across the bar table at his old friend. The group had come to the bar he had visited before going down the rabbit hole to Canterlot and the whole 'Element' business. They had partied hard, gigantic tab but each was paying for their own, bit by bit they had each amassed 6 cider drained cups. Were they drunk might you ask? They were interested in playing chess, what do you think?

Hearth had played many a game around the land, picking up a trick or two from better players. None at the bar had stood a chance against him thus far, collecting a hefty amount of wagers from strangers and the occasional friend who believed they might be able to get him. WRONG! Undefeated, and proud of it.

Twilight had taken Gold to the dungeons of Canterlot, where it was rumored that once you went in, you would never see the light of day again. It was a place for ponies bad enough to not get accepted to Alcatrotz, and that was saying something. Alcatrotz had a lot of baddies, but Hearth supposed it was smarter to keep their key asset locked tight in the cells of the most impenetrable prison in Equestria. But for some reason Hearth couldn't describe, it didn't feel right. Thinking he must be crazy, he pulled out the wooden chair for Silky to sit down in.

Giggling, she sat down in the chair and stared at him with a weird glint in her eyes. "Always the gentle-stallion aren't you... Anyhow, I must warn you. I am quite adept at this game." She added with a smile on her lips. Right now through the haze in his mind, she was stunning. The lights seemed to bend inward towards her eyes, giving the beautiful Teal color a glowing look that instantly made his knees wobbly, luckily he was in a chair.

"O-of course! And don't worry, I'll keep your skills pleased Miss Sensations." Addressing her like the Ligature always did.

Rolling her eyes, she smiled and moved up a pawn with her magic. Just another one of the benefits of being a Unicorn. "I remember the orphanage so clearly, it surprises me. But there's one thing I've always wondered about..."

After a few moves in silence, Hearth replied with a simple quiet "Oh?"

Looking up at him for a few quiet moments with the only sound of other drunk ponies partying at the bar with what looked like Cotton, Gusty, and Apple arguing with 4 stallions with angry expressions on their faces.

"Why did you give me that kiss so long ago?" She asked with a blank expression, unreadable. I couldn't tell if she was angry, embarrassed, or confused. Maybe all three.

"... I don't know Silky, I was caught in the moment and you were probably my best friend, you and Cotton anyway. I was going to miss you, and I wanted to show it I guess." I mumbled after a few more silent moments of moving the pieces, Hearth was setting up a trap for her. It was about to get interesting if she didn't spot it.

Immediately spotting it, she moved away from the spot and continued with empty quiet words, "Yes, yes of course..."

Hearth felt the air grow incredibly awkward and decided to clam up while Silky had a clenched jaw, but her eyes betrayed nothing. Cold as ice, yet hard as rock. But after making a move on the board, expecting another immediate response from Silky, but none came. Curious, he looked up at her and immediately froze. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, and was silently sniffling, she was hunched over so he couldn't see her eyes. I Reached out a hoof for her, she jumped back from the table and galloped through the double doors leading outside, pushing away other ponies to get to it.

Hearth called out for her, but she was too far away for her to hear. Getting up out of the chair to gallop after her, he pushed through the other ponies, finally escaping through the doors to spot a blue/light green tail flash behind a structure with a quick blinding flash, she had teleported away.

Slowly trotting back into the bar, I wondered what the buck had just happened. She had just suddenly broken out into sobs, from the subject of him giving her that kiss, Celestia he wish his thoughts would organize themselves through the haze of all the cider rumbling in his stomach. Clutching his head, he felt extremely dizzy and noxious, what had he done to upset her? Would she even speak to him again after he did, well whatever he did?

Sitting down at the bar stool next to Apple and Cotton, he put his head face down on the counter and tried to calm the raging thoughts punching his brain back and forth like a little filly and her birthday piñata.

"Hearth, where's Silky going?" Cotton asked with a few slurred words, Hearth was surprised he was even drinking, with him being the egomaniac and all.

"I don't know, she just flipped out after I answered a question about the orphanage, I don't know what's going on. I wish I did. But I wish most of all that the dragon behind the counter will SHUT UP!"

Looking around and seeing no dragon anywhere, Apple didn't know whether to be concerned or amused by the obviously drunk Hearth. "Alright partner, lets get y'all home to your hotel. I have a feeling y'all needs your sleep too, when was the last time ya slept there Hearth?" Apple asked while helping Hearth onto his hooves and slowly making her way towards the door with his right hoof wrapped around her neck, (To no displeasure of hers) with Cotton apparently getting into a brawl with one of the stallions they had been arguing with, and making her way towards the hotel with the sweet mare Apple always saw tending to it.

"Sleep?... Since that day when Midnight tried to kill me, where is Midnight anyway? I haven't seen her since I beat her at a game of chess!"

Despite not having slept in a day and a half, he seemed pretty energetic to try to find where Midnight was. This made Apple feel jealous, for reasons that should be obvious. Hearth had way too many Mares gunning for him, she knew that must've been what put Silky in a fit, him saying something he didn't know half about. For a smart Stallion, he was surprisingly stupid in the fields of love. Did he know she loved him? If he did, that would make her nervous. If not that would hurt her for thinking she was just a friend. There was no possible way of making her feel good in these circumstances, but she put on a smile as they reached the hotel doors and pushed through the double doors and into a darkened booth with lamps illuminating the stairwell up to his room.

Climbing the stairs, Apple felt greater weight be put on her from Hearth. Looking over, she stared as he quietly snored, with a cute little shudder at the end. Reaching his room, she pulled out the key from his back pack he always seemed to carry with him and put it into the lock and twisted, unlocking the door and allowing the duo to enter the room.

Setting him down on the bed, he smiled and instinctively snuggled into the pillow. Taking this rare moment, she examined her secret love. Tousled dirty hair from the mountain and his prison, but basically made it a beacon to everypony that he had personality. It was clear he trusted her, the way he had allowed himself to fall asleep in her hooves, this made a warm feeling swell in her chest. He had a muscular chest, she could see the outlines of large muscles through his fur, and blushed when she realized he was well-endowed, looking at that area. He had a peaceful, happy look on his sleeping face, making him look content. Did he never stop smiling that award winning heart stopping smile of his?!

Getting up, Apple trotted towards the door, but stopped as she looked back at the sleeping figure. Mustering her courage, she dashed forwards and kissed him on the forehead before making a *squeeing* sound and dashing out of the room with a furious blush under her Stetson hat.

* * *

Cotton smacked the Stallion's muzzle straight into the counter as Gusty grappled with the other one on the floor. Stepping back from the slumped and unconscious Stallion, Cotton made his way over to help Gusty, but no assistance was needed. Gusty punched the enemy in the muzzle and wrapped his hooves around his neck as he flew up into the ceiling, ramming his face into the hard wood. Bringing a collective of winces from the gathered crowd that had been watching, seeing little wood chips come down from the ceiling.

Landing on all fours on the ground, Gusty dusted himself off just as the Stallion came down and smacked painfully into the wooden planks that made up the base of the establishment. Smiling at each other for a brief moment, they heard gasps. Looking behind them, they saw a gang of ponies that had daggers in their eyes as they stared at the two. Taking this initiative, the two friends burst through the double doors and took to the allyways to get away from the massive group of Pegasuses and Earth Ponies, who apparently had formed a gang of sorts.

Turning a corner, Gusty pulled Cotton into a nearby large metallic green trash can. In the darkness, Cotton heard Gusty whisper, "Not a lot of Unicorns in this place, huh Cotton?"

"Nope, not a lot in deed. But, what were we fighting about again?" Cotton asked, with sincere curiosity, what had they been fighting about? Gah, this was why Cotton usually ignored anything having to do with cider, made him illogical and normally made his brain feel like he couldn't go 10 seconds without forgetting something major.

Hearing the angry mob outside pass, Cotton counted to thirty quietly in the container. When he reached thirty, Cotton quietly opened the hatch and crawled out, falling on his drunken face in the process. Gusty simply flew out of the container and laughed at the collapsed form of Cotton with his face in the dirt.

"Taking a dirt bath my friend? Should I put in the mud pies for supper too?" Gusty taunted.

"Celestia, you need to learn how to be respectful. If I pointed out all your mistakes, you'd never have been my friend. So promptly shut it please?"

Gusty smiled, landing on the ground and helped to pop the drunk Stallion's face out of the ground and wiping the dirt off his face with gusts of wind.

"There we go, now you could get any mare in Equestria Cotton! Looking good!"

Cotton knew Gusty was simply making fun, but Cotton seriously wished he would stop with the romance taunts for once in his life. Cotton had never officially had a crush, never. He digged mares, you could bet your flank on that. But he hadn't met a mare yet that made him think more, and truly love her. Never, not once. Except for her, but it wasn't possible that a-

"Snap out of it bro! We need to get back to the hotel, Zeal told us we needed to be there anyway!"

Buck it, Cotton had forgotten about their newfound friend. Cotton hadn't been able to put his hoof on the anomaly of a pony, so mysterious. He had refused to drink at the bar and had purchased a room next to theirs, Cotton wished he had been smart enough to deny drinks of cider at this time of night. Luna's moon was around 3/4 though its cycle, with the sun yet to peek over the horizon of the mountains.

"Yes, but where did Midnight go? I remember her... BUCK IT BRAIN!" Cotton couldn't recall what had happened, she had played a game of chess with Hearth, lost, then put on a smile and laughed it off. What after though? Cider was officially a type of poison to him. Luna help him if he ever decided to take one more sip of cider.

"She's smart! Clever too, shell find her own way back! C'mon, before the mob realizes their chasing empty air and turns back."

Nodding his head in agreement, they made their way past buildings cast in shadow and street lamps every 15 meters or so towards the place where their hotel was located.

* * *

Midnight Snowstorm had made her way outside the bar for fresh air, and also to wallow a little bit. Why was Hearth always coming up being the Numero Uno of every situation? Midnight had been the pride of her class back in Nocturne, the camp she had grown up in. Strongest, fastest, and most adept at magic. But this Stallion, he was always superior for reasons that seem ridiculous, luck probably. But it still perturbed her. She wasn't used to being number 2, in anything.

Deciding that the doorway of the bar wasn't a good place to blow off steam, she flew up to the rooftop of a blue building that was 2 stories tall. Laying down on the roof, she did what she used to do to calm her down. Looked at the moon, connected with the very pony who made her kind, the night ponies exist. The moon was going slowly, and was half full with half of it blotched out by shadow.

How did her Queen Luna survive on what seemed like the worst place anywhere for 1,000 years Midnight would never know. Closing her eyes, she remembered everything from her old life and all the mysteries that were so murky then, yet so clear now.

* * *

"Alpha double O' 6! Flap those wings harder! Banshee O' 2, not so hard!"

I had no time for the losers Coach Pike-Spike was calling out in wing training. Due to all of the night ponies being technical Alicorns, but with regular sized horns, this gave them all magic lessons, weapon training, wing training, and brute training. I aced every single one of these stupid tests, she could handle herself in the field, she knew she could. She scored high marks everywhere she went in the camp for the yearling 10 camp. Made for all ponies that were to be in war, training began at age 8 and each had over 500 ponies in each camp division.

The only thing that ever bothered me was the prospect of actually killing, of actually feeling blood at the end of her hoof or telekinetic grip instead of wood from the dummies set up for training. The only Pony could possibly keep pace with her had been her only friend, Star Dust. Another Night pony with a black coat and Emerald green mane, as well as Emerald green eyes and abnormally long fangs for their age, but Midnight barely cared about it.

Their friendship was born from rivalry, egging to get ahead of each other in races and hoof wrestles. But I had always triumphed, with an exasperated yet satisfied friend cheering her on in all her championship events. A true friend she had been to me, truly.

"Alpha O' 1, you lucky dog! I was this close to beating you!" Star smiled, showing her mint white fangs and motioning with her hooves that there wasn't even an inch between the two hooves.

"Oh Star please, I could have taken a water break from the water fountain inside the pound and come back, and still have been able to beat you!" The pound was where you slept, ate, drank, and lived in this pre-cursory war preparation camp. The physical Ed part was to the north, magic to the east, flying to the south, and weapon training to the west. In the pound, there was a gigantic fountain of green water, don't worry it was pure and safe, that when you tasted it, it is rumored your brain clears and you think better. But this must've been superstition nonsense, for one of the Colts from last years camp drank so much water, that he had to lay in bed for days. And when he got back in action, he sure seemed a lot dumber than smarter from almost suffocating in a pony made fountain.

Faking a pout on her lips, Star put a her right hoof over chest and whispered, "E tu? Brut'e?" Emphasizing their studies of the ancient Romane's form of speech, and the dramatic play of the killing of Ceaser Cheese the great.

Laughing, I playfully pushed her friend over onto the green grass that grew so easily in their secret camp in the field between two mountains. 'Perfect for stealth, and view,' Flight instructor Pike always said when they flew high up into the clouds above camp, over looking a beautiful view towards fields of wheat far away, in the land fabled to be Equestria. I had always wanted to visit the spiraling towers that came out of a mountain far away, but the flight instructor nervously rubbed the back of his head making up some lame excuse about too much distance.

Bull manure.

She knew it was, she could literally sense with her magic the deception fringing his voice patterns. The way he shakily spoke, the way his pupils only barely noticeably, shrank. She was extremely adept at the art of detecting emotions, feelings, worries, troubles, or fears of somepony. Along with her Elemental ability of Ice, she could be one dangerous pony.

She liked life as it was, and she was graduating soon, her and Star had promised to do their first mission together! Wouldn't that be great?!

* * *

_2 Years Later_

"I hereby grant Alpha O' 1 the graduation papers of this academy!" Professor Pike announced to the gathered crowd for the students award and graduation ceremony. "This is one astounding student, and I am proud to have helped her grow into the strong and independent soul she is today! She has made us proud, and has passed with honors from all of her teachers. This is extremely honorable, and so I grant her the award of an early name ceremony." This brought a quick intake of breath from the crowd, and the nervous Mare who was watching the ceremony from her dais in front of the crowd. "From here on forth, you shall be known only as... Midnight Snowstorm. You have dearly earned this honor today, my valued student, you are a figure for this organization to look up to."

Accepting a roll of paper declaring her title and a honorary golden hate for honor roll, she sat hurriedly accepted and sat back down next to Star, who looked like she was about to explode from excitement for her best friend.

"Way to go, Midnight! Getting a name so early, way to go Mare!"

"Speaking of which, how did you get your name before any of us Star? I've never heard any of the teachers call you anything but Star anyway..."

Looking at the ground, Star smiled sadly. "My mother was a famous warrior, and her name was apparently Star Dust."

Midnight had never heard this before, strange concept. If the instructors knew who their parents were, how come nopony had ever met their parents around here?

* * *

After the award ceremony, Midnight and Star were walking back with the sunset still warm on their backs. Talking about something I can't remember, maybe joking? Maybe celebrating? Anywho, they talked and laughed until they drifted off into sleep... But she was awoken in a strange room on the cold stone floor, that's what she remembered most. The cold stone, and the voice of somepony in her ear.

It was a deep, threatening voice that was as cold and dark as a black hole, whispering things in her ears. "Here's how it will go my dear, I have seen you in classes, the way you hold back from killing. This will not, and cannot be tolerated in this place, or in my army. I know your all chirpy about being sent into the world, but soon after you enter it? You will be rejected, hated, and feared by the cruel ponies of the land of Equestria. That is, if you make it out of here alive."

This last threat brought Midnight out of her stupor and into a reality. Looking around she saw Star, tied up in a chair with her head down and a cloth gag in her mouth. Her eyes were closed, but Midnight could see her chest moving up and down in rhythmic pattern. Alive, she realized with relief, until he spoke up again, only this time with a grinding tone, like his voice was being emitted from a chalk board that was being scraped.

"Your weak, at the moment you can't see innocent blood spilt, but there will be much spilt in the war I'm planning, so here's the deal missy. Strapped to your friend Star's back, there is a sharp Ebony knife. With it in hoof, I want you to wake up your friend, and stab it through her throat. I will then forgive you, and let you free of this place, never to set hoof in it again. But if you refuse me now, I will kill you _and_ her _both_. So make your decision youngling, die with a friend, or live with your burden of memory and the dying look of betrayal in her eyes. Your choice! And know that I am watching you..." He droned off, like he had never been there, like he hadn't just given her a life or death choice.

Looking over at her unconscious friend, she could hardly believe what was going on, what I would have to do. I had to, it was the most logical answer, right? It was either one alive, or none alive. Obvious answer, yet Midnight didn't care about answers, this was her best friend, she couldn't... No... She had to. Star would want it, she had to have, or maybe she wouldn't be fine with it. Maybe she would hate her, Midnight personally wanted her to have wanted it for her.

Trotting slower than a glacier forming, I eventually arrived at my destination, behind Star where an ebony knife was propped up casually on the bottom right leg of the stool. Picking it up with my magic, I felt how sharp it was. It felt like it could cut though led like butter, yes it was that bucking sharp.

Trotting in front of my 'Best Friend' I felt tears start to form in my eyes, against my will. This was the first time I had ever cried, and it was also my last. The blade shook in my magical grip as I brushed her emerald colored hair out of her eyes with my hoof, and gently tapped her on the head, causing her to slowly open her eyes.

Star looked up at me with foggy eyes, obviously still confused at why I was holding an ebony knife to her throat, which quickly turned into fear.

"I'm so sorry Star... I'm so SO SO sorry, but I have to kill you now." Tears clouded my vision so I couldn't tell what happened afterwards as I thrust the knife forward before she could speak, before I heard whether she would curse my existence or tell me it's alright, or tell me to use my head and that we could work it out together.

Hearing and feeling the knife connect with her throat, I heard a sharp gasp come from her mouth, and felt hot blood spill onto my hooves for the first time. Sickened with myself, I stumbled back wards, but before I could throw up or lose my mind from self hatred, I was whisked away as a red shield enveloped my vision and teleported me away from the scene of blood pouring from the wound I had inflicted on my best friend.

* * *

Laying on the roof, Midnight tensed her body at the thought of that moment. She had left, never seen where Star ended up, and she didn't care. Midnight had just been too scared to do anything but run... I was a coward. But am I still one? What if my new friends will need me the way she did? Will I make the right choice, or run away from my problems once again? Had the past taught her a lesson? Who was that pony who had single hoofedly destroyed her sanity for weeks, before receiving her first contract, and clearing her mind to get him, to get Hearth. She had promised herself that she would kill without remorse, but that janitor, I hadn't been able to kill him. Images of Star just flashed in my mind too bright when I held up the knife to take his life too...

She couldn't do it, that's what that mystery pony didn't understand. She couldn't spill innocent blood, well wouldn't if not couldn't. Confusing herself, Midnight put her hooves to her forehead and rubbed her temples, trying to discourage the growing migraine in her head.

Hearing somepony clear their throat behind me, I spun around and pulled out my remaining ebony knife and got in a defensive position facing the way it had come from, to see my old crush Decca O' 5 standing behind her with a smile on his lips.

I'm sorry for not mentioning him earlier, but that was because I was never really interested in Colts until I met him at a weapon convention, she could still remember it.

* * *

"Oh, check this one out Star!" Midnight whispered over to her friend who was looking at a strange rainbow colored dagger with fluorescent colors.

The gathering held all matter of weapons, and let you decide which ones you liked best. Midnight had come with Star to see the weapons put on display by the many show ponies, and master assassins alike. The show ponies were actually dressed darker than the assassins, ironically. The show ponies wore all black, with black top hats that stretched up like somepony had punched it down the middle and made the top go longer than intended. The assassins wore white garbs, with bulges where hidden weapons were concealed, normally they'd wear coats or tuxes to conceal them. But there were no cops or law in this camp. Only rules that you could get a 15 minute time-out for breaking.

Seeing an ebony dagger that caught her fancy, I reached over for it the exact time a Stallion across the table did. Making their hooves touch, and making them shoot back from surprise. Blushing the two looked each other over. He was cute, with an ordered mane and a small tux with a red bow tie that matched his cherry red eyes. He had the normal black coat for a night pony, with a neon yellow mane.

"Sorry, miss...?" He spoke, breaking the silence between the two.

"It's Alpha O' 1, and you?"

"Ah, an Alpha! So cool! I'm a Decca O'5..."

Deccas were messenger ponies, they were only used when the occasional message needed to be sent. Alphas were all around ponies, Soldiers, Assassins, and the occasional messenger. But Midnight didn't care about his rank, she immediately liked him. She didn't know why but her hearth did a weird backflip the instant their hooves had touched, and she liked the coloring of his eyes. Pretty.

"It doesn't matter... So I've never seen you before, are you a year ahead of us?"

"Heh, yeah as a matter of fact. I've seen you though, you are the teachers pet I hear! A lot of ponies envy you Alpha O' 1!"

Blushing, she looked at the ground and bit her lip. "Oh..."

Smiling, he flew over the table to where she was. "Don't be that way! I'm sure its just fillyish wishes to be the best, and you quash those wishes. Your strong, I can tell."

Looking up at his eyes, she felt strangely warm and fuzzy. But looking over his shoulder, she saw Star making weird facial expressions at her, and also making very embarrassing gestures towards the two ponies that were standing very close together. Blushing even harder, she stuck her toungue out at her over his shoulder.

"Ehh, what are you doing?" He asked with a slight smile.

Blushing even harder than before, she laughed and whispered, "My friend is making uhh, inappropriate gestures."

Laughing, he pointed over her shoulder with his hoof. "You and me both, huh?"

Looking behind her, she saw another Night Stallion who stopped making the same gestures as Star the instant she glanced at him. Making him whistle awkwardly and pretend to look at the blades around him.

"Haha! Well... It's been nice meeting you but I have to go, our class departs before yours. See you around?" Decca asked, giving a nervous smile at her.

Smiling, I nodded and smiled up at him, before he smiled back and flew up and towards a group that was heading towards the exit.

"Phew, Alpha I never thought you were the Colt collector! When did you start?" Star teased, seeing me turn my head to watch him go.

* * *

But he wasn't smiling this time, he looked solemn and older for some reason. "You haven't reported to headquarters, and the Pony Hearth has been rumored to have escaped you... Is this true?" Nodding her head, Midnight was speechless towards the cold spoken Stallion in front of her that used to be so fun and warm. "Then why have you not reported your failure? And hidden sources report that you fought against your allies, that you have allied yourself with these, Ponyvillians. Why is this?"

Snapping out of her surprised state, Midnight straightened her back and put away her dagger. "Their not the enemy, Decca. Or is that still your name? Didn't you graduate? What's your new name?"

He glared at her for a few seconds, until sighing and shaking his head. "My awarded name is Air Born, not that you probably care. Why are you doing this Midnight? Nice name, by the way." Finally showing some warmth towards her.

"You haven't seen what I've seen, Air. The one called Hearth could've killed me, but for once in my life somepony thought I could be more than some evil assassin pony. I never wanted to be one, I now realize. They made it seem like it was honorable, but there is no honor to be found in it. The ponies were assigned to kill are nice, kind. They don't deserve to die, I deserved to, and yet Hearth still kept me alive. I'm not evil, and your not either. Join us Air Born! I know that you COULDNT like this line of business either! You can be more than some messenger pony for the ponies trying to kill ALL of these innocents!"

After my rant, I took deep breaths and looked pleadingly at my old crush, who had a blank expression on his face. "They, they truly have changed you haven't they? You truly think this? THEY are the enemy Midnight! What are you thinking?! The ponies would have your back, but now you want nothing to do with it? For ponies you BARELY know?!"

"I know I haven't known their forms for very long... But I've always been good at sensing character and now I know what they have, purity. They would give their life for you, not simply watch your back. They care about each other not in a soldier-like way on how good you are, no matter the rank of you or your species. They are the good ponies Air, and if you are as good a pony as I KNOW you are, you'll join me, and them, and Equestria! I swear off the Night Assassins, I'm done with the killing of innocents. What do you choose, Air?"

"... I have to stay with them Midnight, I have to. They raised me, and I AM only good at delivering messages. I wish you would see things like you used to, like-"

"THEY MADE ME KILL STAR TO LIVE!" I burst out with enough anger and resentment to make Air stumble back from the outburst.

Awkward silence for a few moments then he looked at her newly, with one eye half lidded and the other wide with confusion. "Did she break any of our traditions or?..."

"No, somepony thought I was too weak to graduate, and made ME kill her with the dagger I now carry with me, forever a reminder that I had to betray my best friend for my own skin. Their evil, I thought for awhile after that it was just an important lesson, but now I see there is no kindness or compassion for ponies in the way. Their all crazy to be doing these heinous things, their insane. There was no lesson to learn there except that betrayal is a way of life, and its not. ITS NOT HOW I WANT TO LIVE ANYMORE!"

Watching me, his eyes opened more, and she saw who he used to be. He looked like he felt sorry for her, until once again shaking his head. "I'm sorry for your loss, but it was beneficial for you to not be afraid of killing anymore, I could understand it. I mean-"

"What if you had to kill that Stallion who was making those gestures at the convention? Hmm? What if you had to kill him, to live?" Asking this question made his jaw clench and anger seep into his eyes.

"Don't you dare bring him into this, he's a good friend and I wouldn't have been put in that situation in the first place. Don't put that on me!"

"Would you still seem to think of the organization well even if you had to look him in the eyes, and slit his throat?" She pressed on, ignoring his last comment. She had to convince him, she HAD to!

"SHUT THE BUCK UP MIDNIGHT! WHY ARE YOU-"

"I want to let you know that maybe one day, my situation will be put on you. On other ponies that have to turn on THEIR best friends, like animals clinging to life. I had to betray her, I had to betray myself that day. I will never forgive them for that, I cannot. Their evil, and so is their cause."

Saying these things caused him to wobble on his hooves, and then he turned around and spread his wings. Giving a mighty flap, Air Born took to the night sky and soared so fast away, he was gone from her view within a minute.

* * *

Laying on his bed in the hotel Hearth had recommended, Zeal finally felt at peace. After being stuck in an over sized fish tank for awhile, you can get one giant pain in the neck. Looking up at the banana yellow colored ceiling laying on the plush yellow comforter, Zeal closed his eyes and thought of the events of the day and the shock that had just been delivered.

Talking with the Yellow mare downstairs and her injured brother had been fun. The mare was funny, and the Stallion was always smiling, but it seemed to pain him in doing so. He had told Zeal that one of the mutants, one with a spikey tail had nicked him in the gut and that he had nearly died, and if not for the help of the Princess Luna he would have.

But this was not the part of the conversation that had shocked me, during the conversation it had come up about what year it was, talking about Princess Luna's time spent in the moon cause of Nightmare moon. When he had corrected them about the years since she had been imprisoned, they had looked at him funnily and joked about what year it was. Saying it had been 1,220 years ago, they had looked at him concerned and told him that it was actually 30 years past what I thought it was. I had been in that fish tank for _30 bucking years!_

Telling the brother and sister he needed to rest, they had nodded with sympathy in their eyes towards the time looped Stallion.

Now lying in my comfortable bed waiting for the rest to return, I pondered my existence and life. Thinking about my curse that was disguised as a blessing.

* * *

**Thank you to all the people who are allowing me to use their OCs, and I think its completely astounding my first story on FF is getting such a strong feedback, and I thank all my supporters, and people who helped me straighten things out. Plus, SEASON 3 IS OUT BABY!**

**Next chapter we delve deep into Zeal's past, cheers!**


	17. How Long Will Peace Last?

**Hey people! Sorry I've been not writing stories, but I have giant news that will make up for all of it. GETTING MARRIED Y'ALL! Love of my life, and forever will be. Love ya Bae'! We'll hold it in the Summer, and I proposed to her on Thanksgiving day in front of both our families, receiving their blessings in the process. Now back to the story before I start to get too touchy feely!**

* * *

Putting my hoof up onto the final ledge of the seemingly endless Rocky terrain of Smokey, I thrusted myself onto the flat surface of where my father had told me to go. Looking out over the valley miles below me, I shed a tear as I remembered what had occurred not but 4 hours ago.

I had lived and grew up in the quiet town of Tell Tale, arguably the oldest town still standing in Equestria. The town had little shabby brown huts made by master carpenters, using nothing but small knives to carve the designed into the wood that decades later became one of the smallest towns ever made and upkeep end by a population of ponies.

Most of his friends growing up had been elderly ponies with soft eyes and whisps of gray fur blotching out the original color of brown, red, or any number of fur colors that he had seen with his young eyes. And the few ponies that were his age of 8 were too immature for his taste. So in other words, he had always been the strangest of the litter, the outsider who had somehow joined ranks with normal ponies.

His school had been named after a famous scientist that ha been born long ago, and for some reason he didn't care. There fore his nearly photographic memory didn't deem it worthy to remember it. Photographic memory was usually a blessing, but sometimes it got on his nerves. When he told a little white lie during the day, out f nowhere these thoughts of self abuse came at him from within his mind while he tried to get some shut eye.

Despite all this, he had enjoyed his life in that village dearly. He had his mother and his father, who had meant the world to him. His mother had been named soothing song due to her beautiful voice, which she used to seronade him with when he had nightmares. This had brought out his first Cutie Mark, marking his love for musical arts and the melody of utter and simplistic Harmony. His father had been his idol though, town mechanic, engineer, and carpenter. Having multi jobs just to pay for his families meals. He had been a good stallion in the heart, and mind. This had been his fathers traits.

And it was his father who had discovered his strange ability to read machines like open books, and how Zeal came to find his content with knowing he was special, in a good way this time.

In my younger years at that little school made up of chestnut wood and books made out of what appeared to be sandpaper, Zeal had found magical abilities that shouldn't have been possible. Zeal had made imagination into reality. He had taken a mare named Lily's artwork of a beautiful jade flower that grew only for a month outside the meadow, or as the other colts calls it, the refuge. Where they drank cider, (not that much, to be fair.) and talked about unholy things that Celestia would send them to the moon for.

It had grown out of the wooden desk she had been using, to her great surprise. All I had tried to do was make her happy, but she had told her parents. One thing led to another and what ended up happening? I was labeled a warlock, a freak. Not enough to banish me at the mere age I was, 6 as I recall. No, but what sealed my fate had been something that would unintentionally end up causing them a lot more trouble then they had anticipated.

My father had been working on an invention to channel electrons from the moisture in the air so that water could be channeled into energy of or electricity. A briliant invention, yet denied by the council of Cloves. See this is the problem with old memories, they will not fade. The only reason that could explain their actions of not moving along the villages technology was simply because it would ruin their main image of the quaint little town.

Even if it would improve it.

So, with my father feeling depressed at the sudden change of events and the banning of his pride and joy machine, I decided to do something about it. While my family was asleep that night, I sneaked into the basement with not-so hunters stealth, I got to work.

8 hours later, it was complete. I had screwed in every screw of every bolt, it was secure. I don't know how I did it, I just saw how the combinations of tools and parts would formulate my main idea. I saw what to do in my mind, like a blue print tattoo implanted onto my synapses. Another freak of nature thing about me, but no pony could sway me after a second Cutie Mark appeared on my flank. A bronze cog, showing his abilities towards mechanisms and inventions in general.

Feeling proud of himself, he had lifted the device up out f the basement, to show to a still drowsy couple of parents. But when they saw this invention he had completed flawlessly, fear is the only thing that had radiated out of their eyes. Zeal hadn't known why, until that very afternoon.

* * *

Rubbing his temples clockwise, Zeal Amethyst tried to simmer down the inner sadness that came with the memory of his family, the one he had destroyed. Giving up the mission, he let the blockade of tears that had been gathering, quietly gush out into the soft yellow comforter of the bed. After the release of all the long pent up emotion, he decided to not try to recollect the rest of his journey. Instead, he fluffed his pillows and quickly drifted of into the sea of dreams.

* * *

Being thrown back in the brisk night air, Silky sat down on the cool grass of the small meadow outside Ponyville that had miraculously not been destroyed during the fighting. She had seen it during her return and decided to sometime come here to relax. This was by no end a relaxing situation for her though.

That kiss he had given with so much emotion behind it, didn't mean anything. Not a bit of anything. This for some reason brought on a new wave of weeping into her hooves and at the same time smelling the grass. The Stallion she had dreamed of kissing, and snuggling with on the couch in her room while maybe watching a movie, didn't seem to get the hint she loved him. MORE than just a brother, MORE than anything. He held her heart in his hooves, and he never seemed to notice.

When they had separated in that hallway, she had felt a little place of emptiness enter her heart. Her mind. Her soul. But the instant they had met again, it had all been filled. With him she felt complete, with him she felt above the common rabble, above what the ponies of the town jeered her being one of the upper class ponies. She made her feel alive and strong and free again.

And she had been wrong, his looks in that orphanage had done nothing but improve. But that didn't matter to her at all. She saw the Stallion behind the looks, and his spirit and heart were 10x the handsomeness his looks could ever hope to be.

He wasn't like the handsome upper class ponies, who were all looks and no heart. They paraded their looks, expecting the mates to come to them and kiss their hooves, they expected the same from her at each gala every year.

But Hearth was different, it was like he didn't care about his looks. Didn't care about others looks. He saw you, really saw you in your heart with those soft ember red eyes of his. He didn't care that Silky was, 'Hotter than Celestia's sun.' (Put rudely at her second year of attending the gala, by a drunk and pathetic suited upper class pony.) he cared about her being her, truly. That's what made her love him. The expectance of just being you for you, not caring about what others thought of you.

Summarizing her thoughts in a nutshell finally through her drunken state, she swore to Celestia to never take so much as another swig of that bucking cider liquid. So looking up at the night sky as field insects clicked and buzzed around her, she imagined Hearth's comforting hoof around her as she drifted into sleep.

* * *

With golden rays of sunlight filtering through the window, a red coated, orange maned Unicorn with cloudy cherry red eyes woke up with a gigantic hangover. Nothing new to him actually. So getting up, he trotted groggily over to the bathroom and splashed some water onto his face with his hooves and decided to get bread for breakfast. For some reason that always helped with a bad hangover.

Putting the toast in the toaster, (Hashtag lol) Hearth dat down at the small wooden table and tried to remember. Went to bar, played chess, (What the buck was I thinking?) beat everypony, except Silky officially. She had galloped off, I had watched her teleport to Celestia knows where, and Apple took me back to this hotel.

What a bucking night. Where were the others? Cotton and Gale weren't here but maybe they crashed with Zeal. Hearth didn't know who this Zeal Amethyst pony was, but he seemed nice enough. Polite, a little sarcastic but who isn't after being stuck in a fish tank for who knows how long. Something told me something was bothering him though, a sort of guilt. What had he done before being trapped? He would've HAD to do something to get Professor Gold's undivided attention.

Shaking off the doubt in his mind, he considered himself crazy and instead worried about Silky. He couldn't remember now that he thought about it what had triggered her running away, but it must've been bad. Where was she? Was she alright? Was she safe? Were other friends helping her? Did she have enough-

Shut the buck up brain, your annoying sometimes. She must be fine! Probably went back with the girls back at the farm like Midnight was going to. Thinking about this subject made him feel even stupider. He hadn't thought to even look for midnight after he had lost Silky. Terrible friend, BAD FRIEND HEARTH! Bad friend!

Ugh shut up body! shut up! Their fine!

Then where are they?

...

Realizing he don't have the first clue where the others were, Hearth grabbed the toast that had just popped out of the toaster with his magic and ran out of the room with a piece of bread hanging out his mouth.

* * *

Slowly opening his eyes, Gusty Gale emitted a loud yawn, followed closely by a moan. The hangover, dang. A lot more painful than he had expected it to be, that's for sure. Opening his eyes, he wiped away the gunk that had built up and rubbed his eyes to find he was in a large chicken coop with angry chickens glaring at him from their perch on eggs. Before one emitted a call and they flew at him.

Screaming, Gusty jumped up and dived out the dividing flap between the coop and the dusty patch of trail that made it apparent they were on a farm of some sort. Looking around, Gale saw that the trees were bare of fruit, meaning this wasn't exactly a farm. There was livestock all around him, trotting on hooves or webbed feet or paws. They seemed strangely content with rounded bellies, meaning they had just ate.

No, this wasn't a farm. It was some sort of sanctuary for animals. Looking down the path, he saw a small yellow wooden cottage that was bursting with wild flowers that were growing out of the wood somehow.

Trotting closer to the house, I heard one f the last things I had expected to hear. Laughter.

Opening the front door, he peered inside to see Cotton and a butter yellow maned Earth pony mare with a purple coat. Her voice was soft, softer and calmer than a brook of water. Very beautiful, but the instant she saw me she squeaked out a soft souf and dove over the couch and hid under a table while putting her hooves over her ice blue eyes.

"Intruder! Cotton hide before he gets you!" She squeaked through chattering teeth.

"No my dear Juniper Berry, this sky blue Pegasus is the friend I've told you about. This is my best friend Gusty Gale." Cotton explained while poking his head under the table and prying her hooves from her eyes with his hooves. With the shy Earth pony mare sizing him up, he took the chance to look around the cootage due to the awkward moment and the need to do something other than look like a fool in the doorway.

There was a yellow tea pourer on the table, as well as two cups for the small party. Gotta remember to rip on Cotton later, I noted to myself. The walls were another shade of yellow, and there was a kitchen entrance across the from the living room, as well as a chestnut wood staircase leading up to what must've been the bed room. Simplistic, too simplistic for Gust's liking, but he had a feeling Cotton was in secret heaven. Always being the first one to doubt the new age of technology, he had finally found somepony who looked at things similarly. There was a fireplace in the wall across from the dark blue couch and dark wood table with a hard wooden floor as well. Had this pony never heard of civilization? It was like a cave ponies home, well maybe a little more advanced but still!

"H-h-hi. I'm Juniper Berry," the mare squeaked past her yellow mane, making it impossible to fully see her face.

This was taking shyness to the next level, but Gusty decided to be nice. "Hey there! I'm Gusty Gale, nice to meet ya Joonie!" He said while trotting over to her and holding out his hoof in a friendly matter.

"J-Joonie? Umm, I guess you could call me that, if you want to." She said meekly as she basically just tapped his hoof with hers in the fastest bro hoof in the world.

"Well then, I'm glad you two got acquainted! I woke up inside with this nice pony treating a nasty scratch I got, still don't know how we ended up this far from town when we were trying to find the hotel." Cotton Wood explained with a soft chuckle. "where'd you end up friend?"

"Actually, the chicken coop. Nasty things, they are!" I huffed out while sticking out my tongue at the disgust I had. Chickens, with their beaks, they couldn't even fly yet they were considered birds! Gusty didn't like them that much, but this had obviously taken it too far with the shy pony.

"You meanie! They were just scared of you intruding on them, when they were nursing young! What were you thinking last night? Scaring the wits out of some poor birds! Some 'friend' Cotton says you are! Your lucky to have such a respectful, polite, intelligent friend for such the brute you are!" She yelled, well for her I would consider it a yell. But in reality it was just like she was talking normally, yet somehow it still scared the crop out of him when she looked at him with those big, threatening, ice blue eyes.

"Sorry lady! Just saying they scared me more than I had-" I tried to defend myself, but Cotton elbowed me in the rib cage and gave me a look that he had given a shameful amount of times to him.

Shut it now, or forever hold your peace 5 meters in the dirt.

"Well I guess it's ok, but if you come by again I don't want you near my forest friends like this threatening figure your trying to be! If that's ok with you that is..." Without the last sentence, he would've considered her half way brave standing up to a Pegasus that was half a head taller than the minuscule Earth Pony.

"Fine, sorry. But we really need to get back to town, what is Hearth and the others going to say! We're in for it unless we split now. C'mon Cotton!" I called out as I dashed through the door with my wings and took to the orange colored morning sky.

* * *

Looking at the doorway, Cotton turned back to his new friend who brought a strange feeling inside of him to go take a hurl, in a good way though. "Well, he's right Juniper, we do have to get back before our friends worry, sorry we have to part like this now but I'll come back. Promise."

Looking at him, she flashed a small yet exuberant smile and raised her head for a few seconds. "That sounds good Cotton. Umm, you only have to come back if you want to though..."

"Of course I do! Have more of an ego Juniper, your a cool mare!" Cotton assured with a nod of the head. He didn't know why he was being this way towards her, usually he never told anypony to grow an ego. Probably cause all of his friends were so confident it got annoying to the only nervous one in the group.

"T-thanks... Come back soon!" She sang as Cotton slowly made his way to the door.

"Don't worry, I will." He promised once again before disappearing through the doorway while closing the door from the cool morning air, making my way down the dirt road that Gusty was signaling him to go on. Nodding at his friend, Gusty dashed off in a quick burst of speed and soon faded into a big white cloud, obscuring his view of his friend. Galloping down the trail away from the cottage, he felt a strange emptiness he had never felt before embrace him.

* * *

Zeal never had dreams, always a peaceful blank sleep. One of the things he had been proud of, not having the nightmares the other children at school cried about to the Kindergarten teacher. Pathetic really, just sad. Understandable of course at such an age, but still very sad to watch. But my peaceful sleep was interrupted by a hoof knocking on my door quite forcefully.

"Hey Zeal, buddy wake up! Are the others with you? Cause they sure as buck aren't with me!" A voice Zeal recognized as the Stallion Hearth called out through the door.

"Be right there, buddy?"

Zeal really didn't know what was the deal with this pony. Talking with the others had let him come to know their character so right. But Hearth, his actions never matched his words in the slightest bit. From talking to him, he would've considered him a court jester of candy shop seller. Learning he was a cold blooded traveler had really surprised me. I was good at judging character, but this Stallion was a mystery. He acted like the hero when push came to shove, but he was so care-free in attitude Zeal wondered if half of what ponies said he did, he actually had done. But he had, that's what amazed him the most. He was never wrong with judging character, but he had been with this one. He seemed so stupid but calculating all of his actions and decisions, this Stallion was one smart cookie. He still didn't know who he was. This is what truly disturbed me. He'd just have to find out when they were alone, when others weren't there and he could really dig into him hard.

Getting up out of the banana yellow bed, he wiped the sleep out of his eyes with a purple feather duster he had summoned out of the air. Ok, it WAS probably more of a blessing than a curse. But sometimes blessing bring as much infortune as it did fortune. I had learned that the hard way. Shaking off these thoughts once again, I trotted over to the door and opened it with my magic to find Hearth with hair still as disoriented with an obvious hangover than without.

"Hey! Ready to go? As the saying goes, two horns are better than one!"

"Uh, isn't the saying- nevermind. Yes let us depart."

"I like the way you talk, so royal, so disciplined, are you royalty?" Hearth asked with genuinely interested eyes.

This is when I couldn't tell the similarities between the supposed hero and just some homeless crazy pony on the side of the road. "Umm, no. If I were would I not have wings?"

"Technically Silk's royalty so, not necessarily. Stop procrastinating! Lets go!" He yelled suddenly, throwing a piece of toast into the air and swallowing it whole. Before I could react, he galloped down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. Sighing and rolling my eyes, I smiled and galloped to catch up with the insane, yet good hearted individual who was the first to call me friend in a very, very, long time.

* * *

Midnight sat in the morning light, on the same building as before above the bar, and looked up at the orange sky. Mulling over all this betrayal she had seen in her old crushes' eyes. Did he hate her for mentioning the killing of his best friend to tell which side he was on? probably. She would have hated him if the situation was reversed. Realizing she had slept during the night, she did not care as much as she should have. Her kind usually slept during the day, but she had made an effort to switch the natural orders of things, despite still having glowing eyes in the night and the gleeful feelings she got from being perched in a dark shadow, hidden from the moon's caressing light. But she didn't care, she would never be like her kind ever again. Never. Even if it killed her trying. She had real friends now, and she had to make sure never to betray another friend on her honor like that. She had been afraid, understandable. But unforgivable. Star would have tried as hard as possible to get them both to safety, but she had chosen the easy road and simply slit her neck and ran away from her people, from her nightmare that had become real. She sometimes dreamt of her, with Star shaking her head at Midnight with tears staining her cheeks that had never changed due to her never growing up.

Deciding that beating herself up cause of the past wouldn't help the future, she decided to check in with Hearth at the motel and-

Wait, why Hearth? Why was she always thinking of him first above everything else? Why not Gale or Cotton or Silky or Apple or even Zeal now?

Probably because of the sparing of your life. Her mind responded.

Or maybe because it is because of his brain, and his muscles so refined and handsome yet at the same time humorous and caring. Her body replied with lust.

Body! Her brain exclaimed.

What? You know its true brain, haha! Know it! Who else would?

"Shut up!" Midnight yelled at anything, just to divide her attention from the disturbing thoughts entering her head.

* * *

Don't let the reader hate me, because in the polls for romance somebody voted for Midnight to now be in the running for Hearth's hoof of love. Don't blame me! Blame the voter. And if you want things to go differently, vote why don't you! Right now polls are Silky:2 Apple:1 Midnight:0 but that's only cause of a PM and vote to put her in the running. Personally, I would enjoy for it to just be Apple and Silky. Anyone else agree? VOTE!

* * *

Shaking her head, Midnight took to the air and flew down through the empty streets of morning towards the Apple farm establishment she had heard so much about in a mare-talk with Apple and Silky. It was strangely fun, talking about Stallions and grudges. Although Silky and Apple made sure to avoid a certain subject that now held a little bit of interest to me. Wouldn't it be amazing for Hearth to be with me? For the rest of our lives? Him always smiling and making me laugh, me giving him night rides up in the starry sky, going to festivities together and having fun, or-

Stopping herself there, Midnight made herself focus on the task at h

and and flew down over a field, only to sense a familiar energy lying dormant somewhere in the field. Gathering her wits, I looked around in the tall green grass before finding Silky lying asleep with a comfortable position and closed, yet tensed eyes. Bad dream? probably.

Showing mercy, Midnight walked up to the beauty and poked her with a hoof. "Wake up my dear friend, a whole day awaits us! The cider has not had an effect on me, but it most certainly has on you!" She whispered as her friend opened her closed eyes and revealed a pained and embarrassed look.

* * *

Looking up at her friend Midnight's face, Silky felt so embarrassed she wanted to crawl under a rock in the field and die instead of showing that the head of the Liturgy had lost her cool about one Stallion. Had Hearth told anypony yet? No, she thought, not in his character. If he understood, he will keep quiet until were alone, if he didn't, he is a complete bucking idiot. Hoping it was the latter of the two options, Silky groaned and sat up as she gained her composure on her four hooves and shook her head to wake herself up.

"Sorry you have to see me like this, normally I have somewhat decency when drinking cider, obviously I still have a ways to go though." Silky apologized, bringing a small smile to Midnight's lips.

"Do not worry, for I deem that you are probably the least affected by all that cider, luckily us night ponies are basically sober our whole lives. We cant get drunk." Midnight explained with a small hint of pride, and humor in her voice.

"Jealousyyy! Ugh, I need a hot shower right now or I might die from the headache or the embarrassment of the smell of sweat and grime in my pristine multicolored hair!"

"Well, i'll go get Apple alone if that's what you want. Go back to our hotel and get showered up, I got this one." Midnight said with compassion in her voice.

"Thank you dear, I couldn't face that sweaty pony like I was one of her kind! Off to get clean and half what decent before we meet the Stalls in the square at noon." Before entering the bar, Cotton had pulled them aside and told them all the meet in the square at noon the next day, if we got separated. To hang out like normal ponies for once in all of their friendships. And secretly she suspected the attitude judgment of their new addition, Zeal Amethyst had been his name as she recalled, to make sure he fought for the right reasons.

Nodding at her, Midnight spread her wings and soared back into the steadily clearing sky of orange, and gradually being replaced by blue. Deciding she couldn't possibly trot or gallop all the way back, Silky used what energy remained and teleported back to their upper class hotel, much better than that heap the boys were in, called the Oresiren Blanka. Some Prance nonsense she didn't understand.

Standing in the door way, Silky sighed contentedly and walked inside past the gaping door Pegasus Stallion who was slim and completely green all over, like he was a living leaf of some sort. Handsome too, but not her cup of tea. Hearth was her warmed cup of tea. And getting past the insecurities, Silky hoped with all her heart he would love her back. But Hearth was bad with the romances, she realized. If he were to ever find out, she would have to tell him herself.

Shaking her head, she gave a small smile that most would consider sad. But it was a smile of determination on Silk's features, she would tell him this afternoon, how she had felt and how she always felt, and how she would ever feel. He was the only one she could ever bring herself to love. Their history, at the orphanage had brought her to love the Stallion inside of all that outer shield, the real Hearth. The one without wanting to worry everypony with his insecurities as well, showing he could take anything and come out unscathed. Most considered it stupid to fake, but she knew he did it out of love for his friends, the ones he considered family. To not worry them with his problems of never knowing his parents, of being so sad and lonely on the inside despite the happiness he radiated to those around him, of always looking over the hedge at all the stuff he could have if he had only been born to a hospitable family.

He would make a great father, she thought which brought a blush to her cheeks as she trotted inside the opening elevators and clicked her floors button, the 3rd floor, to start laughing at nothing in particular. Bringing an estranged look from those around her in the elevator.

* * *

Apple stood in the orchard, already bucking a new days worth of trees and looking forward to the meeting with her friends staying in Ponyville. She would laugh, and talk, and act like a normal pony hanging out with friends. They all would, she was sure. Without the talk of war or the political talks that Silky BORED her with. She didn't like that mare. Thought she was above me, did she? Wrong. It was me who was above all that sassy upper class pony manure she lived in.

Angrily picturing Silk's face on her next tree, she bucked it as hard as possible. Over whelming the tree and sending down every single apple from the tree. As well as twisting her hoof painfully in the process.

"Aww buck it!" She exclaimed as she sat down and massaged the are that was red, but not swelling. Good, that was good.

Pausing for a minute, Apple took off her Stetson hat and placed it on her chest as she took calming deep breaths, what her father had shown her to do when she was frustrated or angry at something. Always worked. No different with this situation, she stood up and shook her head at her fillyish actions over a crush.

Silky didn't think she was above anypony, in fact she was quite humble when you got to know her. But she was always talking to Hearth, never leaving any room for Apple and to her horror, actually bringing a couple laughs out of him. Remembering what he had said that night in the darkness of the bedroom in the house, he had said he wanted a pony that was different, yet still had fun on their minds. But was serious when needed. That defined both Apple and Silk's personality perfectly actually, both got serious when needed. And both joked and rolled eyes and smiled wide.

No wonder they hated each other, they were basically different yet somehow at the same time the same. If that made any sense whatsoever. Hearing a branch crunch from behind her, Apple spun around and picked up a large stick from the ground and turned around just in time to smack Midnight in the jaw.

"Ow! Geez Apple, watch it! If I had wanted to sneak up on you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I just wanted to tell you that I found Silky, and to remind you to meet in the square in Ponyville. Unless you want to maybe come with me back to the hotel?" Midnight asked with a smile and raised eyebrow.

"No thanks partner, I think I have to handle this batch of apples before-" But Midnight interrupted Apple as all the stems of the apples froze to the point of coming to the ground. Using this, Midnight levitated them into the air and placed them in the baskets that were next to each tree.

"Done! How about now?" My friend asked as she once again raised her eyebrow with humor now in her eyes.

"Buck it Midnight, you should've been born an Apple! Sure should've spare us some Tartarus fire. Sure I'll come, how's Silky? I saw how she reacted to something Hearth said last night." I asked with what must've been too much interest due to the irritated look in Midnight's eyes.

"She's fine Apple, Celestia buck it. You two have to get along if were to win this war, were a team here! One missing link and were all dead. I suggest you work out your little school filly crush on Hearth and get along before I crack your heads together out of annoyed frustration at the amount of hate you have for each other over one bucking Stallion!"

Hearing this rant, Apple blushed and quickly nodded, trying to get her friend to shut it before somepony from the house heard. "Fine fine, ah' will. Just quiet your yapper, ok? Lets get going."

Getting up on her friends back, Apple flew off in the now blue sky towards the small encampment of stone buildings known as Ponyville.

* * *

_In Celestia's castle prison..._

_Gold crouched in the shadows of his chamber, pretending to be asleep by closing his eyes, but keeping his ears flopped but alert. Hearing every noise that happened in his small chamber built into stone with a small window showing the sky above him. Gold had tried the bars, no luck. But looking again at the window, he realized it must have been too easy. Probably trap, or worse if he ever tried to break through that window. No, he must find a way out through the prison. Difficult, buck yes. But not impossible. Especially with his allies residing in the so called 'Protectors of Equestria' guards unit. There were an accounted 14 allies, remembering his last report from Master Soul._

_That was the only name he had ever given anypony, and never holding meetings with anypony in person. Always sending an agent to trade places, or a look alike to trot the stuff and take the bullets. But Gold knew this wasn't due to his so called weakness many of his allies thought him to be. No, Gold knew he was more than he acted. He had been the Pony wraith of shadows as Celestia had called him in an announcement of the enemies of Equestria. He hid not because he was weak, but because he wanted the element of surprise when he arose and killed every single pony in this pathetic capitol of filth and trash ponies. _

_The reason he had worked with Master Soul, was because he hated all of this. All of this technology being wasted on these pathetic excuses of character, of this pathetic excuse of what a pony should be. In his village when he was small, a pony died every week from starvation. And here they ate more than needed, and even ate simply for the pleasure. He didn't want them to die necessarily, but if that was what Master told him to do, he'd have no trouble in doing it. _

_Hearing a shuffling outside the wooden door that divided his chamber from the other cell blocks, he saw a golden key slide under the door, as well as a door knob appear above his head. Using his reflexes, Gold caught it with his hoof and instantly got up and shuffled over to the door with hoof steps that were quieter than a mouse. He had been practicing his escape over the past few days of his imprisonment, getting quieter and quieter on the stone floor that made up his prison._

_I had been right, the window was just a sham to install false hope into the inmates. How cruel, yet clever as buck._

_Using the doorknob, I removed the fake one from the door and implanted it in the hole and twisted. Another trick he had soon discovered was the fake door knobs, the way it made it seem like you needed a key to open the door. When all you needed was a real door knob. So if a prisoner somehow made contact with the outside asking for a key, they would never find one to fit the fake door knob. And even if they did, it wouldn't work. How genius of these leaders, he'd have to ask for background stories on the Princesses when he had escaped fully._

_Slowly opening the door, a slight squeak omitted from the hinge before quickly being stopped as I slid past the door and shut it before notice could come to the oh so suspicious creak. Looking around, Gold saw no guards in the cell block. Lucky break, or maybe they had been... reassigned by his colleagues to a nice quiet closet with the meeting of knife and skin._

_Quietly galloping down the hall, he heard strange noises come from every single cell he passed, but he couldn't open any. He COULD start a riot, but that would raise attention and they were in a castle for bucking sake. There would be no way out if the way was blocked by stupid brutes that got here only for murdering a COUPLE of ponies. No, this escape mission had to be solo._

_"Hearth, needed all his friends to come save him from a stretcher and a mountain. I only need a door knob and a golden key to escape from the most impenetrable prison in the world." He muttered with a small smile finally penetrating his dark attitude at the current situation. _

_How sad it seemed to me that he had been the one to bypass my extra security measures of making a protocol to kill his hard work. He couldn't possibly start again with the mutant program, failures affected the future with his suppliers of slave ponies and the sort of bandits being captured, or prisoners of war. __All dead because of his extra security measures, and one annoying pony who had basically ruined his hard earned research grants._

_"Damn you Hearth Fire, and I will personally be the one to damn you to oblivion for all the trouble you have caused me, and I will also destroy everything and everypony you have ever loved. Not necessarily in that order." Gold smiled madly as these thoughts entered his mind, as he exited the cell block and into the hard part of the escape routine._


	18. Just A Calm Sunny Day

Hey guys! Sorry about late chapter, my fiancé is going through some, stuff right now and I'm helping. And from a few tips I deemed smart and worthwhile, I'm putting up POVs to make it way less confusing. Thank yous go to Elder Dragon Izanagi, great advice! Don't be shy! I love to talk to people! PM me and thank you to everybodys again. Back to the story!

* * *

**Narrators POV**

Meeting in the town square as bustling ponies moved about to clear up fallen pieces of stone or timber, 7 ponies met with hoof shakes and smiles all around.

"Hey guys! Wondered where you were! Me and Zeal had looked everywhere until we decided we'd wait you out here!" Hearth announced to the group with a bro hoof with his friends Gusty and Gale, happy to see them after they had stumbled into the square, looking for them. "How'd the night treat ya? Obviously not good if you woke up from there." I said, pointing at the woods they had come running out of, as Gusty flew overhead.

"Well Cotton, err, had a buddy to talking with him, a mare in fact. Had a nice conversation, from what I've heard from him." Hearing this from Gusty, everypony raised their eyebrows at Cotton, drawing a blush to his cheeks.

"Come on! I get enough of this from him you guys, I don't need anymore teasing!" Cotton huffed, drawing laughter out of the assembled ponies.

"Lighten up partner! We got a whole afternoon to talk and hangout, catch up like normal ponies without fighting or blood or death. Sounds mighty fine to me if I dare say so." Apple said after her laughter, making a big smile and expanding her eyes to show how excited she was.

"Oooh! Where should we go first?! Bowling alley? That new place being opened down on Mango street? Oh, Ice cream shop anypony?!" Hearth exclaimed, bouncing up and down like a little colt getting an action figure of Buck Norris.

Silky rolled her eyes, but had a smile on her lips. "The new place sounds fine to me." Switching to an accent the Upper class use, she flips her hair up, "But the spa must be simply EXTRAVEGANT this time of year! What say you dear Zeal, care for a dip in the spa with such a privileged pony such as myself?" She teased while batting her eyes, (To Hearth's slight irritation) at Zeal who now had a furuious blush and was looking anywhere but at the beautiful pony who had just made this gesture.

With everypony laughing, Zeal laughed along and shook his head. "No thank you dear Sensations, but I think the look on our friend Hearth's face tells me that honor should be reserved for him." Zeal teased back with a humored smile, bringing a blush to the duos faces.

"Haha, aww snap!" Cooed Gusty as he bro hoofed Zeal with a smile on his face as Cotton snickered.

"So! Lets get to our activities then y'all, sound alright to you?" Interrupted Apple with no subtlety, changing the subject.

"Sure, and this establishment sounds fine to me." Spoke Midnight for the first time since the friends arrival in the square.

With the blushes subsiding from their faces, Hearth and Silky gratefully took the subject change and eagerly nodded their heads.

"Yeah, sure. I'm game." Gusty said with Zeal and Cotton speaking in agreement.

"Settled then! I know the best field next to our farm we can go after we eat, and I think Silky knows it all too well. Must've completely ruined y'alls hair!" Apple spoke without sympathy, looking directly at Silky.

"Uh, yes actually Apple, it did. Why?"

"Aw, no reason." Apple said, until turning around and muttering not too subtly, "Would've given anything to see you get your hooves dirty for a change instead of primping up your mane 24/7."

"What was that Crab Apple?" Silky shot back stiffly.

"Oh I see how it is you-" Apple began before Hearth stepped in.

"WOULD YOU SHUT THE BUCK UP ALREADY!?" Hearth cried, bringing surprised looks from his friends and passing ponies, who he took no notice of. "I don't get what the BUCK your fighting about, but get over it alright? Your embarrassing yourselves, truly. Your both so similar, its a shame you don't see it that way, but I do. Please, your both our friends. You have so much in common, so make an effort to at least not despise each other?" He spoke more quietly, but with even more anger lacing his words.

Looking at Apple now, he leaned in and whispered under his breath so its just a silent conversation between the two, avoiding the ears of his friends, "Stop it Apple, don't do this over me. Do you hear me? I know you have, a certain depth of feeling for me. But STOP it now, or so help me Celestia I will pick you up and throw you back to that farm to just stop your mareish bickering. Do you hear me here?"

Receiving a scared nod from his friend, he turned away as Apple registered to herself the terror of what had just happened. For a moment, in Hearth's eyes, a weird red light had emitted and made her want to hurt somepony, somepony close to her heart, like Nectar or her parents. Added on to the fact that he had gone so far as to be angry brought out weird thoughts in her mind, she had never seen him like this. Unless you count the time he killed all those mutants. But she had just thought that had been his anger wanting revenge for the lives taken, but now she was wondering about whether that was anger or something else. If it was truly Hearth behind those glowing eyes and red aura this day.

Turning to Silky, he leaned in again and looked her in the eye, "Silky, your better than this. Stop it, because I never remember you being so immature as to quarrel with another pony for absolutely no reason at all. Keep a level head, no matter what you think is going on, because I KNOW your smarter than that. Get it together alright?" He spoke quietly, yet forcefully.

Silky opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Never had she seen Hearth in this state, never. When they were fillies, he had never thrown a single simple tantrum, no matter the case. She didn't count Linen because of the simple self defense at work, or at least she liked to think he hated to fight. But that time with the mutants when he had glowed that weird red way, that same light was escaping out of his eyes, making them blood red instead of the lovely soft cherry eyes she liked so much. Nodding her head to avoid the embarrassing croak that was sure to come instead of speech, he nodded his head and backed his head away, leaving the two mares to look at the ground, with guilty and scared expressions.

"... Well I'm ravished! Lets go to that fine diner, eh guys?" Cotton spoke insistently, trying to draw the gloomy air away from the friends.

Hearth seemed to return to normal as he flashed a smile and bounded after Cotton, with the dazed other friends following in tow.

* * *

**Cotton's POV**

After a few moments of silence, excluding the sounds of their hooves on concrete, I looked over at Hearth, trying to size up the weird phenomenon that had just occurred. He had seem furious, for no real reason. Sure the mares bickering were annoying as bucking Tartarus, but enough to get angry? No way. And Hearth never insulted anypony, so what was that? He was the last pony I thought would ever lose his calm. Unconditionally, he was probably the unelected leader of their little group. They didn't know why, but Hearth was amiable, intelligent, and he knew what to do in the toughest situations. Time and experience and also stories told to me what kind of pony he was. Although he seemed insane sometimes, he always seemed to be the rightest in the head when needed. I wanted him watching my back of every moment of my life. I trust him that much. But that insensitivity was a different matter, what was that? More specially, WHO was that? Deciding to try to pry information, I kicked the conversation off pleasantly enough.

"What the bucking Tartarus was that Hearth? You were like a lunatic from Alcatrotz!"

Jumping at the sound of my voice, Hearth looked at the ground beneath his hooves as he trotted for a little while, until he responded in an uncharacteristically quiet voice for him. "I don't know Cotton, I just got a little angry. Probably nothing."

"Nothing? I was sure you were going to punch them both in the face the way you looked at them like that!"

"Come on Cotton! Its me, I don't do the hitting without reason!"

"Alright, I know you would never do it. But please, watch yourself. You scared the manure out of Gusty, and that's harder than you think. The Saragaunts didn't even make him flinch when they were transforming him into one of those zomponies. You might want to talk to him while were eating. In fact, we must almost be there. Promise me you will? And giving a talk to the mares DEFINENTLY wont hurt either, with the way their trotting, I expect them to start crying any moment."

What I said was true, as I looked over my shoulder and saw Silky shaking her head as she stared at the ground. Like she was losing an important argument with the stone beneath her hooves. Apple seemed better, but I knew she wasn't due to the way she occasionally blinked rapidly. As if to quell tears forming in her eyes. Two points to flank-hole Hearth.

Following my gaze, Hearth glanced back and for the first time seemed to get what I was saying. "Alright, fine. But this better not have ruined our first day not saving ponies and killing those, THINGS. I want to eat a grilled cheese with lettuce and act like I'm normal for once. Been awhile since my travels I've settled down, last one didn't end too well." Hearth ended with a depressed sigh before looking back up at me. "I really didn't know I was that bad, I just-"

"No apology needed for me friend, save it for them." I said smiling as I nodded my head back at the others.

"What would we do without ya Cotton?" Hearth teased with a smile and happiness returning to his eyes.

"Without me? The odds indicate that you all would be in anarchy with no logic and blowing random stuff up while innocent colts and fillies watched with horrified expressions as their parents wept and tried to pay you to go away and destroy other ponies lives. Now lets go stuff ourselves!" I announced as I pushed in the red rimmed glass door with a brass door knob of what was probably the last standing and operating food business since the raid on Ponyville.

As I walked in, I heard Hearth mumble, "Well that sure escalated quickly..."

* * *

**Midnight's POV**

Watching the two Stallions in front of me converse, I glanced over at my mare friends. Apple was slumped noticeably, but wasn't exactly looking different except for the fact that she looked between angry and sad. Silky trotted composed, but the only emotion on her face was sadness.

"Hey Silky, Apple, you alright there?" I asked in a almost whisper, as I gently pressed the question that was dominating my mind.

"Fine sugar cube, just using my noggin here." Apple replied after a tense pause, pointing to her hat with her yellow hoof.

"Same darling Midnight... Hey, Apple?" Silky asked after a pause.

"Yeah?" Apple asked with a raised eyebrow at Silky's tone that was bare of any hostility.

Silky gave a quick glance at the farm pony before relaxing her tense royal pose and trotting over to Apple and spoke with an air of sincerity, "I just wanted to apologize for my fillyish behavior towards you. It was uncalled for and I'd like to start things over between us, if you so too desire."

Apple stared for a long time at the Unicorn besides her with a surprised expression before rolling her eyes and smiling. "You know partner, you didn't have to make it a royal proposition, but sure. And ta be honest, it's been more me than you sugar cube. I'd love ta start things again between us!"

Silky let out a sigh, which made Apple laugh and began the conversation between the two about their separate lives in different parts of the Country.

"You sly dog Hearth," I muttered as I trotted behind the two sudden best friends who had talked their way through the path and into the diner that Hearth and Cotton had entered, "That rant actually worked somehow."

* * *

**Zeal's POV**

_Note to self, Hearth has serious anger issues when something sets him off. Watch my hoofing around sensitive subjects. _

I thought to myself as we began the trot down the stone street towards a supposed diner. The air was heavy for a couple minutes, with the only sound coming from the group was their hoofs connecting with the paved stone laid down what appeared to be ages ago. Not to mention the chunks strewn about from the attack (I had been informed about from Midnight) on this peaceful community.

Directing my attention back to my rescuers/friends and smiled at the fact that the two mares were finally conversing friendly with smiles and the occasional giggle.

"Took em long enough, eh?" Gusty said, finally gliding back to the ground since taking to the skies after the fight.

Looking up at the pale blue Pegasus's bright yellow eyes, I for the first time saw the daredevil without his horns. He smiled faintly and he didn't look as carefree anymore, in fact, he looked more like any old pony that trotted about.

Realizing Gusty was expecting an answer, I cleared my throat and agreed hastily.

"Hehe, well looks like Hearth actually did some good through that. But Zeal?" Gusty asked as he flew in front of my face and peered at me with pleading eyes, "Don't think that pony was Hearth. Never seen him in my life, never. Hearth ain't like that, ok? Never seen him as angry. Don't get the wrong idea from that." Gusty sternly told me, glaring at me before once again taking to the skies and bursting through a pale gray cloud in his way, creating a small puff before disappearing.

As I trotted, I truly wondered what he could meant that Hearth had never been angry. Everypony got angry SOMETIMES. Truly, that had to be an over exaggeration to protect Hearth from judgment. Not that I had judged him or anything. Hearth and this group were alright, but what was I doing with these ponies that had saved so many lives in that factory? There hadn't even been a true fight yet between the two armies, its like this group had been the only ones doing anything.

"So how long will the peace last?" I asked myself as I trotted through the doorway into the diner with Gusty following close behind.

* * *

**Princess Luna's POV**

_30 minutes before the friends meeting in Ponyville square_

As I sat in my royal night blue bed and stared out the window, I knew something was wrong. I didn't know when I woke up and sat up in bed, but I felt something happen in the castle, the depletion of life.

Quickly galloping out the doorway, I went up to the sky balcony where I found my loving sister, with her white horn glowing a golden aura and a happy spark in her deep purple eyes as her rainbow mane danced in the bright sunlight that had been cast into the room.

Smiling, she chirped with that fillyish yet somehow wise sounding voice, "Hello dear sister Luna! Would you like to-"

"Celestia! Did thou feel, _that_?" I interrupted eagerly.

"Luna? Whats wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost! And why are you up so early? My sun is only at its noon day peak! But your welcome to join me with my duties, Twilight usually helps me but she's in her own chambers taking care of the trial of uncalled-for magic use in Trottingham. To help you only need to give your opini-"

"No dear sister! I woke up feeling something strange, something has happened in the castle! I can_ FEEL_ it!"

Celestia looked at me with a blank expression before narrowing her eyes and nodding her head. "I cannot feel what you are saying Luna, but you have not misled me yet between our conjoined ruling. Guards!" She called, bringing two sturdily built white Pegasuses through her quarter doors and bowing respectfully to Celestia and I.

"Yes my Queens?" The guard bowing on the left asked with a deep tone.

"Royal guard Starbuck, my sister has reported to me she feels something has happened within the castle. What exactly is this energy you feel Luna?" Celestia asked me gently as she put her cloud white hoof on my midnight purple shoulder.

"I felt, lives being taken." I said quietly, before closing my eyes and reaching forward to where I had felt the burst of energy begin. "It's coming from the lower levels, something has happened down in the prisons."

Celestia did not hesitate in saying, "Commander Starbuck, take Royal Blue with you and a dispatch of your best guards into the lower levels and discover what has happened, and who has been slain. But overall, find what pony has done these unspeakable acts commited." She ordered, eliminating all signs of the friendly ruler that had been here not seconds ago, this was the Princess of the sun. Serious through and through with her words laced with confidence and seriousness.

"Yes, my Princess. I will take my squad down there, nothing can get through us my Queens."

"Thank you, and may thou feet make thine enemies shiver in fear mine Commander Starbuck." I spoke to him, as Starbuck and the other Pegasus that must've been named Royal Blue galloped through the doorway and calling out orders to each other as they separated down different paths that led to the guard barracks on the mid-floors.

Looking after the guards, Celestia turned to face me. "Are you sure that this happened Luna? It sounds so impossible, our prisons are the best! Even more fortified than those of Alcatrotz!"

Turning to meet our eyes, Purple on Blue, I nodded my head swiftly.

Nodding back at me, we both turned our heads and stared with silence out the giant window at the sun that was lazily making its way across the bright blue sky, wondering and hoping that things would remain this peaceful forever. But something nagged in my gut and told me that it was only the beginning.

* * *

**Hearth's POV**

"-And then I ran from the old hag who had just tried to shank me, over berry juice to coat her pet ferret!" I said with the others laughing at the outrageous story of the sweet old mare with homicidal tendencies.

"Geez, and I thought we had some weird experiences!" Said Gusty with a laugh. "Have I told you guys about the time Cotton here ate the carrot nose of the legendary snow ponies up north? Near some place called the Chrystal Empire?"

"Ahh, the Chrystal Empire! Extraordinary place that is!" Silky said with the tone in her voice that meant she was going to go overboard with info. Sure enough, "It was discovered around 300 years by the Princesses, before Twilight even became one! In the records it said Twilight and the Elements traveled to this place and restored the place by casting away the evil King Sombra who had been the former ruler by using the ancient Chrystal Heart that is said to be the object that gives them their crystal coating. After his defeat, Celestia encharged the ruling of the Empire to the Princess of Love, Cadence and her husband Shining Armor who ruled for many a year until Shining passed away and Cadence asked for time away from the position of ruler. Granting her wish, Cadence went up into the snowy mountains and has not returned yet! Reports by the residents near the mountain say that on a quiet night when the snow is light and the air is clear, you can still hear the Princess of Love crying over the death of her one and only love. But that's not all, the ponies there were encased by a magic that surrounded the Empire, making their coats become that resembling pure _Chrystal!_"

After a pause of looking at her, Apple laughed and said, "Sometimes I forget how smart yah really are, stuck-up!"

"Oh really, filthy grubb?" Silky replied with a smile.

Looking at the two, I felt good. Friends, hostile words but no meaning behind them anymore. I was glad they worked it out because now even the two mares could see how much more fun it was to be friends than enemies.

Looking around, Hearth was happy the group had come. The place named Leo's Snacks and Feasts was actually a pretty cool place. There was a place for appetizers, section for small snacks such as a chip bag or ice cream bar, but the feast section took the prize in my eyes. Cheese pizzas, burritos, salads with exotic delicious looking fruit, and other fruits and vegetables that looked something out of a fairy tale story. I had personally ordered curly shredded potatoes, called fries. I don't know how they got the name fry, but as I dipped them in a red liquid and put the morsel into my mouth, I didn't care. Heaven simplified into a shredded potato. Who would've thought?

They had seats stuffed and comfortable, lights that were easy on the eyes but illuminated the tables, and even had railings so if you leaned back you wouldn't break your neck if you fell! (There had been an incident a couple years ago when a Stallion had fallen asleep and fallen backwards cracking his skull and somehow dislocating his jaw, he had lived, but it hadn't been pretty because of all the blood and disemboweled teeth on the floor. Resulting in safety cautions. Hope you aren't eating when you read this.) Small place, only around 4 booths and 2 tables, but it was cozy and the food was good. Life is awesome.

"This Sombra character, who was he?" Midnight asked as she ate her lettuce burrito that had been delivered to the table by a waiter with a poofy chef hat.

"Well Midnight, he was the King who had ruled the land around a 1,300 years ago. He was a good and fair ruler, for a long time. But when he came across a dark crystal in his personal mines, he had become twisted and evil. Bringing his anger out on his subjects and was said to be wreathed in shadows wherever he trotted and had a green aura that encased his eyes, said to be the contamination in his brain leaking out his eyes. When the twin sisters learned of this tragedy from their ally up North, Celestia and Luna rushed to stop him. It was a long and nerve wracking battle, but the sisters finally gained triumph over the now evil King Sombra. When he was defeated, in his own selfishness, made the Empire and its ponies vanish along with him. Nopony ever found the dark artifact that had affected the King, but there were some rumors of its tie to Luna, or more specifically, Nightmare Moon." Silky ended as everyopony stopped chewing just to look at her.

"Geez, how does she fit all of that in her brain?" Zeal asked with a smile.

Gusty laughed before taking a big bite of his hay burger, "Beats me, but, *swallow* that's Silky for yah. Seeming to be the dumbest drama queen until books are brought up. Hehe, our old librarian at the orphanage was amazed that she alone had read every book by the age of 9! She had to order books from other libraries just for her. Never liked me the old hag, hehe. But she had the biggest adoration for Silk and her brain."

"That's just because you ruined her book by splashing mud all over it Gusty!" Silky replied with a laugh.

Giving out a mock gasp, Gusty said with sincerity, "I told you Silky! There was a HUGE bee that landed in the pages! What was I supposed to do? Let the thing KILL me? No, I had to drown it with the mud!"

"Well, why drown the _book_ with it dear?"

Crossing his hooves, Gusty huffed. "Sometimes the boat must sink to kill the captain."

With everypony at the table laughing, Zeal finally ended it by asking, "You used to live in an orphanage Silky and Gusty?"

Turning her head, Apple elaborated, "Yeup, and so did Hearth and Cotton there. All in the same boat, this bunch."

"Hehe, you can say that again Apple." I said before taking a huge slurp of grape juice. "Mmm, this tastes Bossome! We should-"

Cotton laughed, interrupting me, "Wait, Bossome? Is that even a word?"

Rolling my eyes, I blushed as the ponies at the table laughed, "In Hearth's vocabulary, yes. So suck it up Princess Dictionary, where's your wings and horn?"

"Hehe, so salty. In fact, you have been for awhile, what's up with old Colt Hearth?" Cotton asked, taking a serious pose as he put down his drinking cup with his hoof.

Taken aback by the sudden subject change, I was about to retort when Midnight stepped in.

"Hearth, you are a dear friend to me. But Cotton is right with this one, you have been acting strange since coming back from Gold's mountain. What have you discovered that your not telling us?"

The other tablemates perked up as well, looking at me expectantly. Shrinking back from the other ponies glares, I pondered what I should tell them. Should I tell them about the short image of my father, whoever he was? Could I tell them about such personal information? It probably meant nothing to them anyway... But I should. I trusted them after all, didn't I?

Sighing, I looked around the table at the varying color of eyes before responding. "I saw him, I saw my dad. On the monitor, Gold DOES know who he is as it turns out... He looked a lot like me, but something was off. He looked more stern, serious. And his Cutie Mark was that of a black fireball, what does it all even mean?" I said, with the last question more aimed at myself than my friends.

Silence clouded the table for what seemed like years to me, but was broken by Midnight.

"That, that is brutal Hearth. A black fireball, I do not understand. What could that mean his talent is? And if he is still alive, then why hasn't he claimed you as his kin?" She said, with that strange way of talking Night Guards sometimes did, but I didn't mind. That was the last thing on my mind at the moment now that the attention was on the subject that had been nagging at me.

"Was that all? Just a black fireball? Was there anything else?" Silky asked, asking the best question that could've been made. As always.

"Yes, little waves of fire coming out of it. Like it was more of a pit that a fireball. But it had to be a fireball, it was a perfectly round black hole with fire spreading away from it. That describes a fireball, except for the whole black hole thing." I answered.

Scratching his head with his hoof, Cotton was quiet. Everypony else just scrunched their faces up and thought.

"Hey, maybe its!... No, nevermind." Gusty said, much to everyponies slight annoyance.

"Whatever it is," Apple began, "I'm sure it's one of those hidden meaning Cutie Marks. Probably just a coincidence and only he can explain it."

"But where could he be?" Cotton asked, more to himself than anypony else.

This was starting to annoy me, truly. Why were they bugging me or themselves about it?! This was my problem and they shouldn't have to waste time on my petty personal issues.

Wait, so who was I angry at? Myself or them?

...Shut up Brain. You annoy me.

What I'm just saying that this annoys you and gets you angry.

I don't get angry though, so shut it.

But you are!

No I'm not, buck off. I'm not a mare about my feelings! Just leave me alone!

withdrawal, first sign of anger!

UUUGGGHHH!

Silky looked deep in thought, until looking at my face and flinching. "By Celestia Hearth, I'm sorry if we seem insensitive! We're just curious about it, I just thought that maybe talking about it might help you..."

"No, its fine Silky. I understand, just trying to help me."

After these words, everypony was just silent for the rest of the meal, chewing and drinking silently. Like they were afraid the very air around them might shatter if they made too much noise.

When we were all finished eating, Midnight balanced some dishes on her wings, and levitated the rest with her purple aura telekinetically. Alicorn, yet not Alicorn. Lucky pony she was.

Everypony then got up and trotted to the door without a sound. Just when we were about to open the door the same messenger pony from the cider bar burst into the diner with a desperate look on his face.

"Hearth, the three Princesses sent me! There's a siege on Canterlot! She wants you to come immediately!"

* * *

**Royal Blue's POV**

_15 minutes before the friends meeting in Ponyville square_

"Squadron D! That direction!" Starbuck called to a small section of the group, around 5 trained guards, who soon went down the prison ally that he had pointed towards. With a few more commands from my best friend, other groups went down the other allies and soon disappearing from view.

Looking around and shifting my pose in my guard armor, I was utterly disgusted. The place was moist with water leaking out of cracks in the wall that had been refused to have been repaired by work ponies. What were we paying them for? And the fact that rats scurried about in the place, one almost touching my hoof before I brushed it back with a flap of my wings. Bringing my attention forward once again, I saw it was just me and Star alone in the halls. Only one hall had remained unassigned, that must be ours.

"That Luna, huh? What if this is a dead end lead?" I said, breaking the silence between us.

"Theres a lot of rumors about her, that's for sure. Too young, too violent, too rash, too spontaneous." Star said, before turning to look me in the eye. "But not one those words describes that mare. Wise, maybe even wiser than Celestia in my opinion."

Looking at each other, he nodded his head towards the hall that no guard had yet been assigned. Time to act, even though I didn't like it, it had to be done. For the real ruler of the land. Time to prove his loyalty.

Trotting down the hall at a quick pace, but silently making our way down passages until we came upon a dark part that was happening because of the lack of windows.

"Ugh, we always did need a window here. Not afraid of the dark, right Blue?" Star said over his shoulder with a chuckle.

"No, of course." I said in a whisper, out of knowledge of what I had to do as I silently pulled the knife that had been sharpened thousands of times by my own hooves.

"Then lets go, and catch this psycho!" He said with confidence twining his brave words.

"Of course... Time is up." I said as I followed him into the dark. "Do you really think the enemy is evil and psychotic Star?" I finally asked, with the only other sound of water dripping from some place in the hall.

"Truly? I'm not sure, in fact I have no clue."

"What do you mean your not sure?" I pressed, trying to gain some knowledge out of my dear friends last words.

"They cant ALL be evil bro, but I doubt they know what their doing when they do it. They probably think we're the evil ones, and we're the foolish ones. But they don't understand us, just as we don't understand them. We both must have reasons, so what is the difference between us truly? The reason. We defend and they attack us as we're in the middle of a time of peace, so I do believe their reasons are evil, just not the ponies themselves."

"Spoken from a true wise pony like yourself." I said as he chuckled, continuing I knew that we would soon be out of the dark, time to say goodbye.\

"I just wanted to let you know Star, that I'm sorry and your the best friend I could've asked for, ever. Please don't be mad at me for this," I said as I felt a tear trailing down my cheek.

"Wait, what do you-" He began, turning around in the darkness before I plunged the knife into his head and twisted, with the last look coming from his eyes being those of confusion, anger, sadness, but betrayal shining through each one. Letting out a deep breath, his eyes glazed over and I felt the life leave him. Closing his eyelids with my hooves in the shadows, I moved on to find the Professor that had been assigned for me to rescue specifically.

"Goodbye, my friend." I whispered into the shadows as I stepped out of the darkness and continued my journey with the dominating thought in my mind being that of the look he had given me in his last moments of life. I am Royal Blue, and in the words spoken by one of my only friends, many call my cause evil, but does that make me evil?

* * *

**Gold's POV**

_Just as the friends meeting in Ponyville square_

Laying prone on a bench in a chamber I had found with the iron doors open, I waited.

There was no way out without the help of my rescuers, I knew that much. If I was caught by one of the local guards, I didn't have the strength or proper energy amount to combat with them and win. That left the only option of waiting and hoping that somepony on my side would find me. If not, then at least I would go down fighting, I promised myself as I held the splintered wood from the nearby bench that I had broken off to aid me if needed.

I didn't see how me and my saviors would escape, regardless. My coat was easy to identify, and I still had my prison stamp on my hoof that you received ever night at the lunch hall that served slop food that some would argue was even food at all. But they would need an army to get me out by force due to the highly trained guards near the castle, there was no way that-... Unless they made a distraction. A giant one, it would have to be to distract an entire army of guards. That would require an even bigger threat than the regions biggest criminal at the moment escaping, hmm. What would the Master do to rescue me? I had failed epically, as the younger ponies called it. Was I that much of an asset? Apparently, Master wouldn't waste his good spies for nothing. So no matter what the cost, he would get me out. Reassuring, yes. But that could only mean the attack on this city, and even I found this foolish. But as I was about to have a proper argument with myself, I heard the hoofsteps of a guard down the corridor.

"Good, maybe I can take this one with surprise." I whispered to myself.

But just as I was about to pounce, I heard him whisper out, "Hey, Gold Guy, you here?"

Hesistating, I considered the possibilities of the moment and its dangers. This pony could be an ally, which was a high possibility due to no hostility in his voice. This pony could just try to be coaxing him out of his hiding place to kill him, also a high possibility. Or this pony could not be a guard. Very low possibility.

"Don't worry, if your there, Master sent me to rescue you. So if your there, I highly recommend you take this opportunity while it stands. Because I move on in 5 seconds."

He knew the name Master, this was without doubt an ally. Not many ponies even knew his personal nickname, and nopony knew his real name. Maybe not even him. Sighing, I stepped out of the cell and raised my piece of wood, just in case. Seeing the pony in the hallway, I examined the Pegasus who was looking unsurprised at my sudden appearance. He was a Pegasus with a deep blue coat and an almost black, but more blue toned color of black mane with a pair of deep sea green eyes. He had on the official armor of Celestia's high guard, a prestigious group said to have unmatched combat skills. I'm glad he's on my side.

"So, your the Gold guy they've been telling me about... Name matches your coat I see." He said with a smirk.

"And if I may be so bold, what's your name my little traitor?" I retorted.

"Don't call me that or I'll be the traitor and hand you over to the other guards, and they won't put you behind bars twice." He said with venom lacing his words. "So I suggest we get along here Goldy, because right now I own your life." He said while motioning to the razor sharp iron knife in his right hoof.

"Hmph." Was my only response. Sure I seemed like a jerk, but I don't like traitors, even if they were helping me. They had dirt on them, and they always would.

"Fine, but once your back with them, I mean us, I part ways with you. Your not as polite as they said." He said, glaring at me.

Remaining silent because he was right, for this time, I nodded stiffly. "So which way Sacajawea? Down the stream or-"

"Don't joke, this isn't a day to joke. Our forces are moving in on the walls as we speak, that will require all guards to drop what their doing and assist in defending the walls. That will be our window to escape, we have to time it right, hear me? So follow my lead and we'll get in the carriage outside the castle run by other ponies in the organization, they'll fly us over the walls and that's that. C'mon, and don't fall behind." He explained, before sheathing his knife and going back the way he came, towards a dark patch of the prison.

Following his advice, I galloped to catch up with the pony and together we galloped through the darkness, with only a weird bump disupting my hoofsteps, and a slippery substance being caught in my golden coat. Quickly recovering myself, I caught up with Royal Blue just as we made it to the beginning of a stair case leading upstairs. But before I could go up them, Royal held his hoof up to block my path and then touched his lips, motioning to be silent and pointed to a window above.

"Wait for the signal." Was the only explanation he offered, but I was fine enough with it as I trotted over and laid down, waiting for this 'signal' to come as I inspected the weird blood splotches that had gotten on my fur from the bump in the shadowy hallway.

* * *

**Wall Guard Silver Sentinel's POV**

Sitting on my wooden chair overlooking the valley below the gorgeous city walls plaid in 20 meter thick stone walls, I was officially bored. No activity ever happened on this end of the wall. My cousin was out fighting a dragon in the mountains somewhere and what did I get stuck with? Guard duty. And I was a orange Earth pony with a purple mane, so I couldn't practice magic or stretch my wings for amusement.

Sighing, I called out to the station in the barracks where my co-guard Diamond Dust the green Unicorn with a mint white mane was making a sandwitch, "Hey bro, mind making me a grilled cheese while your in there?"

"Kiss my flank you lazy Stallion!" Was his response, which made a smile cross my lips. This was sadly the only entertainment that happened at his station, insults about sandwiches, but it could be worse. They could be joking about how a guard had died earlier that day, which happened at most of them. I still didn't know how anypony had the stomach to mock the dead, but they found it quite easy.

I opened my mouth to respond when I heard something make a snapping sound. A bow. Using the reflex that had been beaten into me at guard camp, I rolled out of the chair just as a pitch black colored arrow pierced the chair.

"Buck! Theres an attack Diamond! Get to the castle and-"

"Stop joking you-" He started as he trotted out the station center laughing before another arrow skimmed through his mane, making him gasp and drop the sandwiches in his magical grip.

"Get down!" I called to him, but he was frozen with shock looking just as I heard another bow pull back and release.

Cursing to myself, I dived forward and tackled him, rolling us both into the small barrack that was used as a key station that only came every 50 meters or so along the massive wall with the sound of the arrow whizzing by my ear. Getting up, I punched him in the face with my hoof, bringing him back to breathing and retching from shock. I didn't hold him accountable, but if I hadn't been here today... Don't think about it.

"I-I'm sorry Silver its just that..."

"Chill Diamond, but we need to act now! Push the flag up and punch in the beacon lighter, that will warn the other guards there's an attack." I instructed, helping him to his hooves.

"What about you?" He asked.

Walking over to the weapon casing, I pulled off the wall 3 crossbows and strapped two on either sides of me, while holding the last in my jaws. "To my last breath, I will hold this part of the wall!" I said through my clenched teeth over the crossbow. "I'll hold em as long as I can, but please hurry?" I begged before running through the doorway and raising my crossbow with my hooves as I did.

I had always been the best shooter in the camp, and that was a fortunate outcome with the circumstance. Looking around at the tree tops, I felt my blood go cold. There were night ponies clustered in so many trees out there, there must've been a thousand! I waited for them to attack, fly with those wings of shadows at me and bare those sharp fangs they were known to have, but as far as I could tell they were waiting for something. With tensed muscles I watched and observed the enemy not as far away as I would've liked.

Finally, one emerged from the treetops on grand wings of shadows, with a weird black shape on his head resembling a ball. Taking aim, I watched as it lowered its head, and then lifted it swiftly and blasted the orb high into the sky, before exploding and releasing curling shadows that blotched the sunny sky and made a noise like metal scraping together at a fast pace while being attacked by jackhammers. Which, by the way, makes a chalkboard scratching seem like that of a purring kitten.

Putting my hooves over my ears, I let out a cry of pain before shaking it off and grabbing my crossbow again just as my first wall guest arrived. It wasn't enough time to discern details from the monstor of a pony, but all I really remember was my instincts coming over me and the lock of the bolt being released into the skull of the night pony, sending it backwards and falling into a beeline to the ground before connecting and making a sickening sound. Good thing he had already been dead when he hit the ground below or that would've been one painful death.

Not wasting time, I threw the empty crossbow to the side and pulled the one from my left shoulder over to my hooves and took aim at a night pony soaring overhead, before releasing the bolt and sending the projectile straight into it's stomach. Making it reel over in mid flight and sent the poor target into the wall headfirst, no way was it alive anymore.

"It's up! The beacons up!" I heard Diamond cry out, much to my relief.

Turning to smile at him, he smiled back before looking to the other side and let out a cry, yelling something at me. Curious, I looked to where he was waving and saw a night pony with a great sword in grip fly straight for my head with a murderous smile, seeking my blood in return for its two comrades. Not today.

Quick as lightning I slung the last crossbow over my right shoulder and dived to my right just as it sailed past with a sweep of its sword at where my head had been. Looping around, the massive pony landed on the other part of my segment of wall, spitting green saliva over the side of the wall to mock me in the process. As I got to my hooves, I felt a shadow cross over my head. Looking up, I saw the night ponies from the trees sail over my head and splitting off to attack the encased houses of the lesser ponies below in the basin under the wall. Just as I was about to lose hope, I spotted Unicorns and Pegasuses open the Golden Gates leading to the palace, and charging through to meet the threat.

For once I was happy with my part of the wall and not having to engage the hoard, even though we outnumbered the small group of nightponies easily. By about a 9 royal guards to every 1 of their night ponies. "We could easily fend off this attack, so why even do it?" I muttered to myself before turning my attention back to my infuriated friend. "Well its just us vs. this guy and we can go help those Stallions down there!" I called behind me to Diamond.

"Yay, I guess. Now c'mon Silver, lets take care of this freak!" He said, joining my side with an iron sword in his right hoof and a thick wooded shield attatched to his right by leather straps. Effectively allowing him to retain the balance of three hooves, and still have a solid defensive. Along with that, he handed me another crossbow, not removing eye contact with the night pony.

"Thanks, so on my lead we-" I began before the enemy took initiative and sailed into the air, coming at us with a firmly grasped broadsword in hoof.

Raising my crossbow, I fired off a round right at his head. Predicting this, he swerved to the right and brought his broadsword to lop off my head only to be interrupted by Diamond bringing up his shield and blocking the strike, firmly digging the sword into the wood. Losing balance, the night pony tumbled over our heads and cracked his head into the top of the bunker, before letting out a groan and jumping down below to the wall. Only around 5 meters away.

"No weapon now, c'mon bro. We got this now!" Diamond said confidently, pulling out the broadsword with his telekinetic grip and throwing it over the side of the wall.

Snarling at us, he finally spoke. "That was a gift from my hatcher mother, you'll pay for that." He threatened in a low voice as his eyes changed color from green to gold. Gold equals rage for these ponies apparently.

"So he speaks!" I chuckled, "Surrender right now filth and we'll cut your sentence for rebellion against Equestria in half, how does that sound?" With silence from him, I continued, "How bout a nice sky view of the forest from your cell? Not too many of those you know!"

"Shut up, you annoying coward." The night pony responded angrily, "I'll rip your throat out and spit your blood out onto-!" He began before I had had enough of his senseless violence and shot my arrow through his chest, making the shaft stick out right above the label their armor bore of a night surrounded by a night sky of blood and the stars appeared to be little pieces of brains. How lovely.

Staring down at the shaft, the pony actually didn't seem to get what had happened as it tumbled over the side of the wall, lifelessly.

"Damn, rest in peace. But good shot, wasn't expecting you to shoot in a conversation." Diamond said after a short silence of watching the now seemingly young night soldier slam into the dirt road below.

"I know, I guess I can give up my gentle-Stallion license now." I responded.

"Heh, I guess so." Diamond said, before perking up stiffly and shaking my shoulder. "Manure, dude they need us over there!" Diamond said while pointing his hoof to where the forces had collided and were battling in the sky and on the rooftops of hay houses while poor ponies ran about seeking shelter. This was where the poor ponies of Canterlot were, where the train station never stopped, not wanting to show its passengers the ugly scene of hay houses and skinny ponies. It wanted you to see the glamorous sky scrapers that crowned behind the large golden gate separating the poor from the rich. Quite awful, really. Even though there were only about 30 poor houses and 100ds of rich houses in the upper district, it just seemed so sad. Such a small part of the population here, so small they weren't ever even paid attention to.

"So why attack this part of town and not destroy buildings of value?" I whispered to myself. It didn't feel right, this whole set-up felt wrong. There was no point, and no gain for the enemy to destroy this part of town. Especially when we were currently slaughtering them, arrows prinpicking flying dark figures and night ponies being cornered. Why? For what purpose? Sure, they were taking out a lot of our guards, but the damage would be only a third as much as we would deal if we killed them all, and we would by the looks of things. They were simply outmuscled, so why even waste the lives? The enemy was smarter than this, I was sure of it.

"Diamond, doesn't this catch your eye as weird?" I asked, turning to face my friend.

"What do you mean?" He responded with a hint of curiosity into his voice.

"This helps us WAY more than it helps the enemy, so why?" I asked again after my elaboration.

"... I don't know. But what I _do_ know is that they need our help down there so lets get to it!" Diamond said before turning back to our outpost on the wall and soon I heard the sounds of his hooves clanking on metal as he climbed the latter down the wall. Hesistating to ponder a little more, but I knew my friend was right that they needed our help down there to minimalize civilian casualty. So following his lead, I galloped inside and began my dizzying descent down the now seemingly flimsy metal ladder down to the ground that seemed miles away.

* * *

**Princess Twilight's POV**

"Alright, let me get this straight..." I said for the millionth time to the little brown coated, red maned little colt in front of me with desperate and scared orange eyes. "You got angry and made your friend who had stolen the tomato on your salad grow beetle pincers?" I asked again, receiving an ashamed nod from the young Unicorn.

"I-I really am sorry Princess Twilight, I just let my emotions get ahead of me I guess." He mumbled, with tears starting to spout from his eyes and sniffles coming soon.

"... Well Chestnut Coat, since this is your first magic offense and due to the fact it was both from a minor and also out of no real want to hurt him, you can go now. Take the train back, and here's 5 bits to cover your ticket." I told him, while pulling out five bits from my own personal purple bits bag.

"Wow! Really?! Thanks Princess, your the best!" He said happily, grabbing the bits with his magic and dashing through my door before I could say, 'Royal Duty'.

Rubbing my eyes, I smiled despite the job. It was honestly quite taxing with the way ponies usually tried to lie their way out of trouble and I had to dig to get to the issue. But I enjoyed it, because of my ties to magic I thought it was the perfect one for me. And it was always worth it when somepony complimented me not just to flatter, but because they truly meant it. Truly appreciated my help and cooperation.

"Well, that took way longer than I had anticipated, but now I can _finally_ get back to the new book in the_ Daring Doo_ series! Revenge of the Saragaunts, haha. Hearth really did inspire a lot of ponies I guess with that little adventure." I mumbled to myself as I opened to the first page and sighed contentedly before a guard burst into the room suddenly while shouting for me, making me jump out of my seat and fall face first onto the ground.

"Princess, there has been an attack on the Gray part of Canterlot by Night Ponies! A report from the Gray wall guards says they opened arrow fire and need aid from the palace guards!" He reported to my prone figure.

Groaning, I got onto my hooves and cracked my back before shaking my head and asking, "When did this happen?"

"I came as soon as they crossed the wall, they-"

**"They crossed the wall?!" **I shouted angrily. I couldn't believe this, I had thought it had been the average attempt at a raid that had happened a couple of times, but crossing the wall? That was some serious business that needed to be tended to immediately. I was about to give the order to send me into battle when my brain started to think and I wondered what the gain of the attack on gray quarter would do. No money, food, energy storage, only ponies who were too poor to afford a place. And our numbers were so great, there was no possible way it was to actually pose a threat to us. So what was it? "Guard," I began more softly, "What are their numbers?"

"Around 1,000, my Queen," He answered.

Tapping my hoof on my head, I did what I did best. I thought. No way they could break past our total of 9,000 guards clustered here, so its purpose isn't to take the city. But a mere distraction... Distraction, DISTRACTION! That's when it hit me, this wasn't supposed to be posing a threat, it was supposed to divert our attention, turn a blind eye on everything else. But what specifically did they want? The guard would've mentioned if there was another attack going on, and he didn't. So not to raid any other part of the city, but a diversion. I thought for a few more moments when the answer dawned on me.

"Guard, what is happening in the lower cell blocks?" I demanded, more harshly than I should've but this was beyond serious now with what could happen.

"Luna reported she felt something amiss, so we sent a squad of soldiers to enter and inspect the place."

"And?"

"And what my Queen?"

"Have they reported anything?"

Frowning, the guard said, "No, in fact we haven't heard anything from them in over 20 minutes my Queen."

"UGH!" I cried as I solved the puzzle of the cause of the attack. Gold. That had been the reason, they wanted him back to start helping with whatever they thought he was useful for, which must've been worth the lives of these Night ponies. "Come with me, guard. Gold is escaping." I informed him before spreading my wings and shooting through the doorway just like Rainbow Dash had-

No, don't bring up those memories. I told myself as I felt a old wellspring of tears try to make their way into my eyes. And a Queen never shows weakness.

* * *

**Gold's POV**

Hearing a loud explosion from above, Royal huffed and sat up from his position and whistled to me. "That's it, now time to go to the carriage, we get out now. Let me handle any guards we come across, ok?" He said, more of a demand than an actual check on my oh so soft feelings.

"Alright, deal. Lets go, it smells terrible down here!" I agreed with disgust at the sewage leaking into the halls.

"Good," He said before spreading his wings and flying up the stairs, with me following on hoofstep up the stone stairs due to the prison clamp on my wings. They did take ever precaution in this prison, I _HAD_ to say.

Reaching the top floor, Royal opened a door before shutting it quickly with wide eyes and motioning for me to back up. Taking his advice, I gracefully checked the gravity levels in the stairwell by tripping and falling down the flight of stone stairs. Giving out a groan of pain, and feeling my arm, no, my wing, no, my body? Yeah, my body starting to bruise. Hearing the sounds of metal guard armor and spears bustling along with hoofsteps shut me up real fast though. So a legion was rushing through the halls, just our luck. Waiting a few minutes, they finally receded and Royal took a deep breath. Had he been holding his breath the entire time?

"Good, oh buck we're lucky they didn't see us," He called to me, "Your like a lucky golden coin! Hehe, now c'mon. Lets get you delivered to master." He said before grabbing me and setting me back on my hooves. Muscles like a bull elephant, wholi manure. Even though I wasn't exactly a colossal boulder to pick up.

Following him back up the stairs, he peeked through the wooden door with tons of metallic latches and bolts, before nodding his head and pushing it open fully. Galloping out, I looked around. The hall was emblazoned by gems and relics in windows behind arrow proof glass by met bet. But this didn't excite me as much as the open doorway leading to rays of pure sunlight leaking and frolicking in the fresh blue air.

"Thank Celestia, don't worry. Not literally," I said to him with a wide smile, galloping past the doorway and pausing for him to catch up with a grim expression on his face as he looked behind him, before turning back and galloping forward out into the orange setting sunligh. Deciding not to press, I followed him down into a courtyard with green grass and stone spires climbing into the sky above the castle and through mazes of barrack trails left by marching soldiers until we finally reached a grassy knoll with a pony suited in black standing at the head of a pitch black colored chariot with 3 Night ponies attached to reigns that had a blood stain here or there. Oh well, I guess. Stuff happens.

"Cool beans, lets get out of here eh Mr. Black Stallion!" I said smiling as I buckled myself in to black leather seat belts before pausing and looking back up at him, "Not meant racistly, promise on Celestia's head." I promised the figure, bringing a deep chuckle from the back of his throat, making me think it was a belch for a quick moment.

"Don't we wish killing her was as easy as a promise, hehhehe. Now c'mon Royal, give me the payment and we'll be off." The shadowy figure called to Royal with a deep gravelly voice.

Pulling out a linen satchel, he tossed it to the pony and said, "Here you are, you greedy pig, that's more than enough. Extra is your tip if you get us there fast." Royal said with a daredevil smile as he climbed into the black chariot and strapped himself in as well. The driver opened the lid and peered inside, his face being illuminated by a soft gold glow escaping the pouch, bringing a smile to his face in the form of sharp white fanged teeth jutting out nightmarishly.

"You better be buckled up fellas..." The pony replied, narrowing his now glowing yellow eyes.

Not wasting a second from when Royal was strapped in, the group of escapees flew away at a break-neck speed in the chariot just as an angry purple Princess and her guard entered the scene, watching the criminals get farther and farther away until not even a speck of them remained on the now setting orange sun of the horizon.

* * *

This one was so long, I feel so accomplished! Thanks again to my awesome people who help me out, and join the herd! I can never stop talking with you guys, so PM me and lets get to know each other! Accepting OCs anytime and will try to fit you in with my story! BTW VOTE IN MY POLLS! **CRUCIAL!** Paarzival out guys


	19. Undercover Threat

**Rainbow Mash's POV**

Skewering one of the Night ponies grappling on the ground with one of my Pegasus Stallions, I lifted myself into the air with the raider and flung him into a nearby house, making a sharp crack and a gasp of pain ring out before he fell to the ground, lifeless. Landing on the ground, the guard who had almost been killed got back up and flinched. He had a deep cut on his front right hoof, making blood seep out at a frightening pace.

"Get out soldier, you will not be able to fight anymore and I want you to be alive for the next fight." I commanded, giving a light shove on his back towards the palace.

Grunting, the Pegasus Stallion took flight towards the palace, cradling his wounded hoof. Giving out a sigh, I turned around and entered the fray once again on my cyan blue wings that I took great pride in. Sailing through the streets at an astonishing speed, I bashed in the heads of the enemy as I flew, knocking them out cold. Never hurt to take some prisoners. And others I gave a might thrust with my spear and ended them, pinning them up to a wall with pain filled, surprised eyes. All around me we were crushing them.

Down the nearest street, I saw a Earth pony guard jump off a roof landing on one engaged in battle below, shooting a crossbow with uncanny accuracy through the head of another one nearby. I should catch his name later on, I noted to myself.

Removing my spear, I heard a strange call come from an overhead Night pony, making the most dreadful sound I had ever heard, causing me to clutch my ears and grit my teeth. Once it was finished, all the Night ponies took flight again, they were retreating.

"ARCHERS!" I heard a nearby voice call, like that of a Mare's. Sure enough, a round of arrows was shot into the sky now bathed in orange from the setting sun, clipping the wings of some of the Night ponies. Filling the air with the sounds of desperate cries for help from falling ponies, but most of the retreating forces were unaffected.

Turning my attention to the streets around me, I frowned. All around me houses had been destroyed in the conflict. Yes they were flimsy, sadly flimsy, but knowing more homeless ponies would beg on the streets tonight made my blood boil. There was no cause of this attack it seemed except to piss us off, and that mission was accomplished with a price I liked. Dead Night Ponies surrounded us, in the streets and collapsed on houses. Either drawing their last breaths or already have drawn them. Trotting down the square, I began to see dead guards as well though. Even though I was angry enough to take every last one of the enemy down, I knew the dead soldiers were proud of their deeds in heaven looking down at us. They had done well, and they would _not_ be forgotten. We had slaughtered them, inflicting around 5 times the number of dead from them than us.

"Commander Rainbow!" A bulky Earth Pony with a pale yellow coat and lime green mane reported with a salute, "Your squadron is asking if we should pursue the retreating forces, sir!"

Looking at my Stallions waiting behind him, then looking up at the sky with the Night ponies almost a speck on the horizon already, I shook my head. "No, tell them to go home to their families tonight, and celebrate our great victory against these fiends from Tartarus. For they have done me proud today." I informed him.

"Sir yes sir!" He said, flashing another salute before turning around and trotting back to the men and announcing my decision, bringing tired smiled from the surrounding soldiers.

Trotting away as their cheers echoed around the square, I spread my wings, took off my helmet, letting my rainbow colored mane glint in the setting sunlight, and took off into the sky to reminisce the good Ponies that had died today.

* * *

**Hearth Fire's POV**

Riding along in the golden chariot with my friends, I wondered what had happened. Had Canterlot been taken? My friend Twilight been killed? The Princesses captured? The only real segment of our army been obliterated in one single battle?

"Relax, friends." Midnight said to break the silence, "The forces were of great number there, I do not think Canterlot has fallen."

"What makes you so sure, Midnight?" Gusty asked with a hint of something that made me angry, again. A hint of suspicion towards the Night guard in their group of friends.

"Back off Gusty, Midnight has no ties to the enemy anymore," I retorted at my friend making unfair accusations towards Midnight who had now narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes Gusty, listen to Hearth. Yes, I used to be one of them, alright? Bur if thou is really accusing me of siding with them, we will encounter problems." Midnight responded curtly.

Glaring at Midnight and I, Gusty shut his muzzle and looked out his window, showing the subject was closed. For now.

Gritting my teeth together, I took a deep breath. I wouldn't be embarrassed by getting angry anymore, I promised myself. Looking out the front towards the castle, I saw the little messenger pony in the drivers seat and silently waiting as he looked ahead as well. Two Pegasus's with massive white wings were flying us, and they appeared to be twins with their body build and their same colored coats. Pure white coats and electric blue manes, I couldn't see their eyes.

Sitting back into my plush black seat, I looked around our group of 7. Everypony was looking at the bottom of the carriage, except for Zeal. He looked straight ahead, with a curious look in his eyes, as if pondering as much as I was what had happened. I liked Zeal, he wasn't clammy and recluse, he was open and quiet when needed. But talkative when he needed to be, and I liked that. Plus, his abilities still confounded me, I should ask him sometime about them and see if he can elaborate further. Turning my attention to Silky, for the first time I remembered what I had wanted to ask her.

"Hey, Silky?" I asked, catching her attention, "What happened with Linen? You know, adoption and who were those ponies that adopted you?"

Sighing, she shook her head at the ground. "Linen was still Linen when we arrived at their manor, and then-"

"Manor?" I said, putting my hooves over my mouth to try to take back my interruption.

Smiling a wide smile that made me want to do a backflip, she laughed and continued, "Yes, turns out they were a very prestigious family in Canterlot, head of the education board for all schools. So when I showed talent in the areas of knowledge, they began to teach me the ways of being a diplomat and how to make good decisions that would benefit both the civilian ponies and the Liturgy, becoming the youngest member to ever become the head of the Liturgy. Everypony was skeptical of me at first, but after I signed the new treaty coming from the Griffon Empire they trusted me more for some reason even though it was just a simple signing of their document of terms. The only one who still distrusts me is Nocturne, and I don't trust him either, I think he's hiding something... But anyway, when Linen began to see this was not the place he wanted to live, he ran away. I never saw him after the night he broke a window and climbed to the ground using the old elm tree out back, I feel bad for him honestly. Its not his fault he's so different, he just doesn't know how to act normal without those temper tantrums he always has. Broke so many vases and even ripped up the third volume of Hoofsters dictionary and Encyclopedia of all living specimens."

"He ran away? Where do you think he went?" I asked.

"To be perfectly honest, no idea. We weren't close, after we became brother and sister, he became more distant. We didn't communicate often and when we did it was because we asked each other to pass the ketchup or salt at the dinner table."

"So his crush on you faded, I'm guessing?" I said with a smile.

Laughing, she nodded her head, "He might've been too embarrassed of it to talk to me."

"I see, and to be honest you were dearly missed at the orphanage Silk! Nopony could answer our complicated questions anymore, and there were a lot of them. For example, I _still_ don't know where babies come from!" I exclaimed with a strained angry expression while waved my hooves around. (Of course I knew where babies came from! Teasing Silky was just too hard to resist sometimes with the way she makes that laugh...)

Staring at me before bursting into laughter, Silky finally stopped and beamed at me, "Well thank you dear, I'm sure I was. I'm just glad I'm back with my friends again, even you grub gobbler!" Silky said to the group as she patted Apple's shoulder with her sleek coated purple hoof.

Laughing, Apple rolled her eyes with a smile and sank into silence again, not making eye contact with anypony.

"And by the way, Silky?" Gusty said with a sly tone, "That was an understatement when Hearth said you were simply _missed_. He whined about you not being there and how stupid Linen was to fight him in that situation _every_ day that went by, and other rude statements about the parents that should never touch a ponies ears."

Feeling heat rise to my face I looked out my window in silence as I heard Silky stutter and Gusty chuckle. Cotton was right, being teased about mares _really_ frustrates you sometimes. Thinking of something, I turned around and saw Silky shy back with a blush on her muzzle into the seat and turn away from me. Ok, weird. But I ignored the strange behavior as I said to Gusty in the same tone he had used, "So, how's your thing with Nectar going there Gusty?"

Gusty stopped chuckling immediately and scratched the back of his head with a blush before mumbling, "Shut up, Hearth." Making me and the watching ponies laugh.

Apple stopped first and then continued, "My sister eh partner? Well I reckon that-"

"I get it! Leave the subject of crushes out of the conversation, leave me alone!" Gusty cried desperately while putting his hoof in her mouth to stop the oncoming teasing, making everypony start laughing again.

I smiled. Life was good, I just hope it would stay that way when they knew what was happening with the attack and how many ponies had been killed. Hopefully, more of them. I hated death and blood, but this was our land and they had no right to bring the lives of city ponies into the equation! Everypony was quiet after that as we watched the castle come closer and closer with each second, until we were right above the part of town where the attack had obviously occurred. Ponies were below, lying motionless. I couldn't make out what side they were on though, so looking farther out the window I was almost beheaded by a rainbow maned pony whip by the carriage faster than any Pegasus I had ever seen. Must've been that Rainbow Mash guy from the leading defensive guards in Ponyville, he was an alright pony. But due to the fact he had almost killed me, I decided to be more wary around him during his flight schedules.

"Better watch it there Hearth, that pony almost hit you!" Midnight said to me with wide eyes and an unamused face that looked so funny on her face, i couldn't help but start laughing.

"No way, really Sherlock Hooves?" I said through my laughter, making her smile. Smiling, wow. That reaction on her was like me doing a backflip out of happiness. (P.S. Last time I tried to do that, I broke my hoof and had to be sent to the hospital. I wasn't happy after that.)

Getting my hoofing again, the golden sun marked carriage descended into a place that seemed to have been crushed during the battle, it was now just a pile of hay. Setting their Pegasus hooves on the ground, the carriage Pegasus brought us right in front of a squadron of ponies with the Cutie Mark of Rainbow Mash emblazoned on their chest patches. These were Rainbow's Stallions. And they were cheering and galloping off towards the Golden gates that were dividing the two parts of the city.

"Wow, we must be _really_ famous you guys!" Gusty said as he waved at the retreating ponies. "Anypony got a pen? I'm going to need it to sign my name on their faces and hooves, telling them to not bathe that spot. That will be so cool!"

"Haha, I don't think that's what their cheering for," Zeal said in a monotone voice, "I think their just going home."

"Or, ooorrrr," Gusty started while raising his hoof and smoothing his mane back, "They're getting their friends and families to watch them accomplish the meeting of their biggest hero pony ever! Gusty Gale, the mares adore him! The Stallions beg for him to give them his incredible muscle power!" He said with a deep, masculine tone as he flexed his muscles, which looked so ridiculous I couldn't help it. I cracked up so hard I thought I was going pee myself by how serious he actually seemed.

Everypony watched me as I laughed, possibly harder than I ever had, which made a groan come from Gusty. "Well I feel so heroic_ now_."

Before any more awkwardness came, a Pegasus guard with an ocean blue coat and a brown mane rushed up to them and saluted. "You must be the ponies Princess Twilight sent for, I am Militia Mix and I have been instructed to take you to her. Follow me, she wants you reporting in her office immediately." He told us before turning tail and trotting down the street, not even checking if we were following.

"Well come on y'all! Princess needs us!" Apple said encouragingly before galloping after the guard, with us following in tow. We were led past broken shacks of hay and mud, with the occasional Night guard strewn on the ground with an arrow impaled in their body or a mark from where a weapon had stabbed them. The Celestian guards were a rare sight to find dead, to my surprise. I thought this was a legitimate threat to the army and Equestria if they launched the first attack on the _capitol_ of the Equestrian Empire. Why had their forces been so small? No legitimate damage had been done, as far as I could see. This wasn't a battle, it was slaughter for the enemy forces. So why? Remembering my meeting with Princess Twilight, I knew she must've already answered this question and not been happy with the result. Ergo, she called us here to help her with something. Or maybe she just wants to check on us, how considerate! But I doubted that was it, knowing Twilight, she didn't do anything without a purpose.

Trotting through the massive Golden gates, we trotted up a grassy hill until we came to the entrance of the Royal Palace. In the light of the setting sun, I wanted to throw up rainbows from the pure awesomeness that radiated from the stained window glass that was shooting different colors of lights out into the courtyard they were in.

"This... This is amazing!" Zeal finally said over everyponies gaping mouths as the guard smirked at our reactions.

"Yes, it is quite marvelous isn't it? And judging by your reactions this is your first visit?" He asked.

Shaking my head to regain my though pattern and slurp the drool back into my mouth, I responded, "Yup! Well I've been here before but only on the inside, I was teleported everywhere else though!"

Raising an eyebrow, the guard stared at me for a second before shrugging. Meh, I bet there had been weirder circumstances around here. "Alright, but stay close, the halls are like a maze if you don't know how to navigate them, took me months to memorize it all! If you didn't have me, you wouldn't be able to get to her!" He pronounced proudly while raising his hoof to his chest before a purple light flashed and we appeared in Princess Twilight's office.

Opening his eyes, the guard looked around and sighed, lowering his head before mumbling something about, 'Stupid teleportation,' before lazily trotting to the door and slamming the door behind him.

Princess put her hoofs together on her desk and laughed, "Haha, sorry for the surprise everypony, but he's just so salty! Just too tempting when I heard him boast like that! But seriously, we need to talk about what happened during the attack." She said with a pause as we all gave her our full attention with eager eyes, "Professor Gold escaped in a Night chariot during the attack, he is gone. And it was so well planned, I figured that he could not have escaped without the help of our fellow guards." As everypony and I gave a slight gasp at the prospect of traitors among the guard, she cleared her throat and read from a sheet of paper, "Royal Blue has disappeared, he is one of the most elite guards we had, and in the searching of Gold in the dungeon, we suspect he murdered his ally and friend Starbuck. He is another, _was_ another of the most talented we had. This is a clear sign to me, we need to discern which ponies are on our side. As of now. If we had had no traitors in our mist, Gold would never have escaped. Royal is obviously one of them by now, but I suspect, no. I feel that there are others with the same motives, just waiting for another opportunity to mess up our plans. Royal was in the hall during guard duty when Gold escaped, meaning that it is impossible that he did everything on his lonesome. So I am assigning you 7 to finding out who else is with them, this is crucial for the Equestrian Empire. You have no pressure on you to take this job, but I feel that together you will easily be able to find the traitors." Ending her explanation, Twilight put down the paper and looked back up at us, waiting for a response.

I looked to Twilight, then turned to the group behind me. "Well, I'm in. Faster this war is over, less lives are lost. And this needs to be done ASAP, I'm all about ASAP. Anypony else with me?" I said while holding my hoof out to the others.

There was almost no hesitation as my friends put their hooves onto mine with determined faces, while simultaneously saying, "I am."

Looking at the faces of my friends, I felt happy knowing how bad I would ever be in trouble or needed help, they would have my back. Nodding to them I turned around and nodded to Twilight, who gave a small smile and lit her horn before shooting another purple ray at us, whisking us away.

* * *

**Royal Blue's POV**

_I was walking through a dark ally, with the shadows around me dancing and moving like an ocean of darkness, like a tide of shadows with no moon light to guide them. Around me I heard cries of pain, of desperation. Sounds of crying babies and mothers, screaming unrecognizable words. Looking for the noise, I saw nothing. Becoming anxious, I galloped forward, only to feel a gut renching feeling as I came across the body of Starbuck, laying still with his eyes still closed from our encounter. Becoming afraid, I tried to gallop around him, but his hoof shot out and grabbed my rear hoof as he started to drag me into the ground with him, into a swirling vortex with screams of terror coming from the center. Fighting to get away, I felt Star rise up while sinking and grab my face mask, screaming at me with eyes of red pits fire and fangs growing longer with each second, "TRAITOR! REPENT ROYAL BLUE BEFORE YOU CAUSE THIS!" Star yelled at me, gesturing around me at the endless land of shadows before reaching down, wrapping his hoofs around my neck, and giving a quick action that was going to snap my neck if I didn't-_

"AH!" I screamed, waking up in a pool of sweat in the bed i had fallen asleep in, with a blue blanket and cotton pillows to put my head onto. Looking at my surrounding wooden nightstand and empty stone fireplace, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Just a dream Royal, just a dream."

Looking outside the window, I saw the sun starting to rise above the silhouette of the Mane Mountains, the mountain range dominating this region and the separating landmark that meant you were out of the Equestrian Empire and then currently entering the Algazarii Empire. This name gave me hope, because it meant in ancient pony dialect, 'The Ones With Bravery And Reason.' The name had been chosen during the war Council when the three leaders of the two rebelling groups met with Master presiding. Nopony knew why we all had to call him, 'Master' but if you called him anything else he would kill you instantaneously without even seeming to move from the place he had been standing. I had witnessed it myself when one of the Night guards had called him, 'Oh mighty Master' as a joke. Master obviously didn't find it amusing as he looked at the pony who then fell to the ground, lifeless with a stopped heart that nopony could explain to the crying family how it happened, exactly.

"Morning, time to get up. Take a shower now, Royal." I commanded to myself. Pushing away the blanket, I groggily trotted over the stone floor in the guard barracks that had been set aside for him due to his major success with rescuing Gold. I should feel great, excited, proud, joyous. But I didn't feel any of those emotions, I simply felt hollow, for some reason I couldn't put my hoof on. Entering the bathroom, I went to the sink and looked in the mirror at the pony looking back at me. Dark blue coat, blackish-blue mane, and my piercing sea green eyes that seemed dull due to my drowsiness. After looking at myself, at who I had had become for a few minutes, I turned on the hot water in the VIP tub and drew a shower. Hopping in, I cleaned myself as I tried to scrub away the dream that had seemed strangely haunting. They, _we_, wouldn't do that, we couldn't possibly bathe the land in eternal darkness.

But what of Celestia and Luna? If they controlled the stars, the moon, and the sun, what would happen to them?

"Master will know what to do with them," I grunted to myself as I climbed out and put on my real armor, the one with the Algazarii creed of a green arrow shooting through an orange sun on the chest plate crest with a deep blue color staining the rest of my armor.

Opening the sturdy wooden door to the hallway, I remembered it was time for breakfast and felt the first pang of excitement I had had in days. I was starving! Galloping quickly down the stone hallway and down a flight of stairs leading to the regular barracks, I was greeted with cheers as the rest of the guards saw me arrive.

"WOOOT!" Came shouts from them all as they threw their helmets in the air, nearly knocking out their neighbor when it came down, but nopony seemed to care. The Captain of our squadron shouted for them to put a hoof in it, but he too was smiling.

Trotting over to me, the Captain who had a brown coat with a light blue mane with a brown horn extruding from his helmet patted me on the shoulder and chuckled. "Nice work son, those Equestrian bastards will fall even sooner now! And you were a main part of it. With the Professor guy back with _us_, we get more chemical weapons. And those Equestrians refuse to use such, as they call it, _barbarism_ in war. So these babies will completely wipe them out! Sure, those Night guards passed away, but now we will make up for the losses. Double, no,_ triple_ what they did in that battle. I'm proud to have been assigned such a fine soldier as yourself, follows orders to the last detail. My kind of Pony!" He said with a devious smile as he patted my shoulder again, only with more enthusiasm.

I tried to smile at him, but I couldn't muster the sincerity so I decided to just skip it and simply nod.

When I got my food served by a kind Earth Pony lunch mare, I was waved over by a group of soldiers and given a table at the head. Sitting down and eating a hay fry, they tried to talk about when they would fight and all the Equestrian blood that would be on their hooves. I was uncomfortable eating my ketchup after hearing about some of their methods to draw blood painfully. Dumping my food early, I felt a headache coming onto me, which was strange but I ignored the throbbing in my head as I dragged my hooves towards Angel Joy's office, she was the mare who had led the revolt on Cloudsdale and had seduced the mayor into surrendering, before sticking her famous silver knife in his throat. Causing the surrounding guards to flee for Canterlot before the rebels could get them too. The mare famous for her beauty had whispered in my ear upon my arrival that she wanted to discuss an issue in her office once I was fully rested.

Trotting down empty stone hallways, I felt so strange. I was used to the Equestrian wooden barracks where you trotted around outside on the fresh soil and green grass to get to different areas. This place was massive, a giant stone built barrack under the mountains with musty air. All I truly wanted right now was to taste the fresh Equestrian air again, but something in my head said that even tasting the fresh air would be different after I knew I had betrayed it as well. Sagging at the thought of me and Star flying through the air and practicing our sword fighting, I hurriedly shook my head and galloped down the hallways until I arrived at her grand, bejeweled door with sparkling gems. Knocking my hoof on the door, it immediately shot backwards and a pink hoof shot out, scooping me into the dark office before I could react.

Being thrown on the plush floor and getting the wind knocked out of me, I felt a silver knife touch my throat, hesitating before the light was switched on, allowing me to gain my bearings. Sitting up, I coughed and retched before looking up and seeing the sweetly smiling mare with a sleek pink coat and wings with a swirled light pink and purple mane. She had a Cutie Mark of a bright red heart, Love? Laughing sweetly, she opened her eyes to allow me to see bright beautiful maroon eyes sparkling with laughter. Despite the fact that she had almost killed me, I had to admit she did live up to her name by having the beauty of an angel. Feeling strangely intoxicated, I couldn't help but laugh as well for reasons that eluded me.

Opening my mouth to say something, I tried to speak, but no words came out. Laughing at my flabbergasted face, she smiled even wider. "Oh sweetie, Angel got your tongue?" She cooed as she smoothly glided across the room on Pink wings, elegantly landing in a black padded chair that faced a wooden desk that was cleared except for a few documents with building blue-prints on them.

Quickly getting to my hooves, I sheepishly smiled as I took a seat facing her and responded, "N-No lady Angel! Just checking in on what you wanted from me?"

Making a pouting face, she sighed and said, "So serious," before winking at me and giving a half smile with enough seduction to kill a normal Stallion, "But I can work with that, sweet stuff."

Feeling lightheaded for a short moment, I shook my head to rid myself of the ungraceful images entering my mind of Angel and I. "Ugh, Master of Seduction. You damn well up to your title Angel, don't you?" I asked as she giggled and put her hooves on her desk.

"What makes you think I'm forcing this you muscular Stallion? I've always thought that guards armor had a certain sexy charm to it." She responded curtly as she rolled a strand of her flowing hair around her hoof and half-lidding her eyes at me.

"What do you want from me Angel Joy?" I responded sternly, unwilling to fall for any more of her mind games.

Looking at me for a few seconds, she pouted and withdrew her hooves from the desk and pulled out a document from behind the bland wooden desk. Putting it on the table, she pushed it over to me. Taking the white sheet of paper into my hooves, I strained my eyes to read the cursive writing of eloquent twirls up and down the page.

_My dear friend Royal Blue,_

_If you are reading this, it means I have been killed before I wished to. And if I never got the chance to say these words, I will write them on this paper to make up for my cowardice during my life. You have been a son to me, you Stallion. When I received you in my barrack section during my first year as battle instructor, I knew there was something special about you. And after I got to know you, Royal, I wished Celestia had given you to my wife to be of my own blood. You were the best friend during my life I could have ever asked for, despite the age difference. Never have I trusted anypony more with my fortune, equipment, and roll in life. I give to you my position in the Royal barracks as battle instructor in Canterlot. You have a good heart, and a good sword hoof. May you train the best of the best for the next generation of guards! And may the Sun and Stars forever watch over you when you need them!_

_~Starbuck_

When I finished reading the document, my hoof started to shake and I felt like I wanted to cry. What had I done?

"Seems like this Stallion meant a lot to you, Royal. I am truly sorry." Looking up at her face, I recognized the first real emotion she was showing to me. Sorrow. "This came in from Equestria, strangely. I do not know how it got here into our mail distribuations, but it came with this." Angel said before reaching into her desk and pulling our a shiny pin that glinted in the light coming from the fireplace that had been lit during my concentration on the parchment. Handing it over by hoof, I grabbed it and felt even worse.

It was Star's Equestrian service badge. Star never wore it out in public, but once when I was in his house, I saw it portrayed above on his mantle with other photographs of old ponies with tired expressions and guards armor on. He had a long line of Equestrian guard blood. Looking at the badge, he had smiled and put his hoof on my shoulder.

"That, Royal Blue, was my father's badge he had given to me on his death bed. He had told me, 'Go forth my boy, and make me proud! For I will be watching!' My father and I never got along that well, but in that moment I realized that he truly did love me. That badge is over 200 years old, from when my great grand-Stallion had served with Princess Twilight during the time when she was just starting off with her magical duties. One day, after my wife Melodious Tune has a son, I will give this to him when he grows old enough. For I will carry on my generation through this badge!" Star proclaimed, giving that deep throated chuckle that always made me laugh along.

But he had never had a son, the couple tried, but it was not to be. Melodious Tune was unable to bear a baby in her womb. I had comforted Star when he had drank at the bar until he cried and leaned on me for support in the pouring rain... Which meant Star was telling me that I was to carry on his generation...

Without saying goodbye to the beautiful mare who had no idea what news she had just bore onto my shoulders, I galloped quickly out the bejeweled door, slamming it as I spread my wing and flew at top speed down the stone halls. After nearly crashing into other guards a few times, I finally arrived at my room and throwing off my armor, revealing my Cutie Mark of a Pegasus pony flying through a giant wave of water with a spear in hooves. I had gotten this mark after an intense challenge only I had completed, it was to fly endearingly through waves of water in the ocean off of Detrot. I had burst through everything that came my way, showing in my Cutie Mark that I could adapt to any challenge in my way with my wings and warrior spirit in hoof.

Collapsing onto my bed, I tried to fight back the well of tears that had risen in my eyes. Losing the fight, I turned my face into the pillow and wept at how easily I had sold out my best friend, not even that anymore, my _father _just to prove myself to a group raiding Equestria. A group I was beginning to wonder if their motives were as true as they said they were.

* * *

**Angel Joy's POV**

Watching Royal slam my door, I sighed and shook my head. "Poor dearie, was that really necessary?" I asked to the shadows being cast by the rising sun.

"Yes, of course. And my theory about that Pegasus is starting to seemingly come true. His next actions will dictate his fate, and prove where his loyalties lie." The numerous shadows around the room answered in a serpentine voice with an echo.

"Fine, I'm glad I could assist you Master. But please, even I could tell that pony meant much to the poor dear, why did you use him as an example?" I responded, feeling a slight well of fear rise in my stomach, like every time I had ever had a conversation with this creepy Stallion.

A strangely dark chuckle came before responding, "Because he has that Stallion's blood on his hooves." Before the shadows around the room seemed to lessen and the fear that had been building evaporated as I was left alone. But before I got out of my seat to go back to my room, a black shade fell upon my eyes, causing me to fall back into my seat as I experienced the vision.

_Floating in mid air and looking down into a hotel room with three Stallions laid out on a bed watching images fly by on the TV, I looked around curiously. I was somehow looking down into a port hole sized window into the room, but outside the room everything was black, and my body was giving off black tendrils of smoke._

_"Angel Joy turn around," I heard a deep familiar voice command from behind me, and turning around my blood went cold. A gigantic pony, around 30 meters tall, that was simply made of liquid shadow as well was floating not a meter away from me. "These Stallions, they will affect the war greatly. But I want you to aim for not all three, but simply this one." He commanded as he pointed a small beam of shadow through the small window at the Stallion Unicorn with a red coat and a blazing orange mane with no Cutie Mark. "His name is Hearth Fire, and if he is slain, the Ponies around him will lose hope. But Angel, be cautious, he has already stopped a Night guard Assasin who has betrayed us to serve him for reasons of their damn_ Honor _and such. He is currently stationed in Canterlot, seek him out and gain his trust before ending him. Make him trust you with his life, make him give everything for you."_

_Not hesitating to respond, "Of course Master! I will have the Stallion's heart in my hooves like putty before you know it!"_

_Giving a nod of satisfaction, the giant version of Master brought his hoof down onto my tiny figure, ending the conversation._

Waking up at my desk, I bit my lip and turned around to watch the sun rising over the beautiful Mane Mountains with a blood red glow. Taking out my silver blade, I reflected the glow onto the fabulous silver that gave my weapon seem as if fresh blood had just been spilt. Staring at the glow for a few seconds, I smiled. "Time for sitting on my flank to end. Time for more business to be done with this, Hearth Fire." I muttered to myself before jumping out of the chair and galloping down the hallways to my room to pack my bags for a trip to Canterlot.

* * *

**Gusty Gale's POV**

"Yes! YES! Go Detrot Tigers!" Hearth was screaming at the television while jumping up and down on the bed while watching Baseball with the Detrot Tigers, (His favorite team as you can tell.) playing against the Coltston Red Hooves. Right now the Unicorn hitter for the Detrot hit a double, sailing over the second basepony and going into center field, bringing another galloping pony into home base just as the ball was caught by the catcher. With a signal he was safe, Hearth literally started to cry out of happiness as he cheered even harder.

Cotton and I in the meantime were shying back against the backboard of the bed so we didn't accidentally get punched in the face by the crazy celebrating Unicorn.

"Uh, Hearth?" I said, bringing his attention to me. Ignoring the impossibly giant smile and the tears of happiness trailing down his face, I continued, "It's just a game bro, you don't have to-"

But before I could finish my sentence, Apple knocked on the door and shouted through the door, "Time for breakfast y'all! Hurry up or we'll eat it all!" Before we heard her galloping down the hallway. Not hesitating, all 3 of us scrambled out of bed and flung open the door as we galloped for dear life towards the breakfast hall, unwilling to go hungry one more second.

Arriving at a stair well, I took the cheap way by diving down the center of the stair well, flying to the ground floor. Turning upwards before I collided with the floor, I smashed my face into the wooden door, sending my face shooting through the wood and to the other side. Groaning out of the pain that was filling my head, I pulled my head out of the hole made by myself and groggily pushed the door open just as Hearth and Cotton trampled over me, galloping for the breakfast hall, not checking on my poor old face. Not wanting to lose the race, I pushed myself to my hooves and galloped as fast as I could towards where Hearth and Cotton had just entered a room labeled by a paper sign saying that breakfast was being held there. Entering the room, I heard consecutive moans as an announcement pony stepped down from the podium on a small wooden stand on the left side of the room and trotted past me on the way out.

Finding our group of Mares and Stallions, I asked as I continued to rub the bruise quickly forming on my forehead, "Why is everypony groaning?"

Pouting, Hearth turned to me, "That guy just cancelled breakfast at this time, we're going to have to wait another hour! And on top of that... Dude what happened to you?" Hearth questioned as he pointed to my forehead.

Blushing slightly, I told them how I had shoved my face through that door at the bottom of the stairwell.

Silky tittered and frowned before responding, "Oh you poor dearie! I have some bandages, don't you worry about a thing darling! And Hearth!" Silky shouted, turning to our red Unicorn friend, "How could you leave a hurt friend in pain to get breakfast?!" As Hearth opened his mouth, Silky interrupted again as she narrowed her eyes and put her neck up in a disrespectful manner, "Shame, Hearth. Shame on you!" She said as she trotted out of the room, hopefully to get bandages for me.

Looking embarrassed, Hearth had his ears down as he guiltily turned to me. "Sorry bro, I was just hungry... Really hungry... Sorry." He repeated, surprising me. Hearth not blaming Cotton was weird for me, besides lets face it, it was Cotton too. I knew Cotton knew this by the way he rubbed the back of his head with his hoof with embarrassed bright brown eyes and a red tint in his neon orange cheek fur.

Laughing, catching Hearth by surprise, I responded to his apology, "Aww, no problem bro! This isn't the first time I've gotten hurt, and besides! I was the one who decided to fly down the stairwell like that, its chill dude." I said as I offered him a bro hoof.

Smiling sheepishly, Hearth bro hoofed me and laughed. "Cool beans! So what do we do until breakfast comes?" He asked while rubbing his stomach, which was grumbling.

Midnight opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted as Silky teleported into the breakfast hall with bandages in her magical grip and a tired looking Zeal, who was rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Here you go Gusty dearie, Silky will take care of it!" Silky said as she trotted up to me and ripped a piece off with her magic before tying it around my forehead.

"Ok, thank you. Mom," I teased as I rolled my eyes at how she was taking a simple bruise so seriously.

Opening his eyes, Zeal laughed when he saw the bandages on my forehead before saying, "Dude, what happened?"

Getting a jab in the ribs from Silky, she stared viciously at him before I laughed and smiled at him. "I smashed my face through a door. And by the look on your face, I think you could use the same treatment to wake up properly. Sleep in?"

Smiling, he responded, "Yup, got to quit watching that new hit music video, 'Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows.' I think I forgot to blink as I watched the whole 5 hour version before falling asleep."

Everypony laughed at the embarrassed look on his face before Midnight once again opened her mouth to speak, "I volunteer we go do something of celebratory matter! For instance, let us go to one of the many department stores I have heard so much about! I have yet to shop in the famous tall stores that dominate Canterlot!"

The mares eagerly agreed as the Stallions made nervous laughs. Seeing our faces, the mares laughed.

"Well what do _you_ want to do?" Silky asked.

Looking at each other, we really didn't know much about something that didn't involve shopping in Canterlot. Shrugging our shoulders, we decided shopping was better than just sitting around waiting. Agreeing to go shopping, we trotted out of the breakfast hall and were about to open the front doors when the bell hopper that had greeted us at our room we had assigned by Princess Twilight.

"Where are you 7 going?" He asked with a squeaky voice.

"We're going shopping in the Hoofmark's Hotel down the street!" Midnight said before any of us could say anything. Looking at her, she blushed as she mumbled, "I've been planning this for awhile, alright?"

Laughing, we trotted through the glass turning doors as the bell hopper approved, as long as we came back soon. Twilight had told him to monitor us and what we did so we didn't do anything stupid. Us? Do something stupid? Nawwww!

Trotting down the stone sidewalk as we exited the marvelous Maneton, we talked and joked before standing in front of the biggest store I had ever seen that towered over us. There must've been 50 stories on this monstrosity!

After a moment of silence, Midnight giggled at something Apple whispered to her before the Mares started girl talking about what they would buy as they entered the store. Turning to the rest of the Stallions, I realized how lost we all were. We were all traveling ponies, but we had never gone shopping at this level. Well, Zeal didn't travel. But I doubted he ever had a dream where he went _shopping_.

Shrugging our shoulders, we all entered the store trying to catch up with the mares.

* * *

**Angel Joy's POV**

Flying into Canterlot on the cool morning breeze with my two pieces of luggage being carried in my hooves, I spotted the gigantic hotel that I had been instructed to come to. The Maneton, what a marvelous splendor! I thought to myself as I examined the monstrously huge structure and the beautiful carvings on the stone that made up the outside of the hotel.

Landing on the ground outside of the hotel, I trotted through strange glass revolving doors. I had been in Canterlot as a filly to see the Princesses, loving the perch from my father's shoulders as I saw the beautiful Princess Celestia and her shy, yet bold younger sister on a parade float that was going down the street. Little did I know that years later I would yearn for their blood on their hooves to avenge the unfair justice they had done to my brave and proud father.

Gritting my teeth to relieve my anger, I took a deep breath as I entered the lobby that had plush couches and chairs surrounding the room with a soft carpet under my hooves. A giant golden chandelier hung from the stone ceiling in eloquent beauty as light shined through crystals attached to it. Bringing out an array of colors shining around the room like a non moving disco ball.

"M-Madam? Can I help you?" Squeaked the voice from a young Earth pony Stallion with a brown coat and a orange mane that had tripped over his hooves to attend to my needs. Looking at the short Stallion, almost my petite size even, I grimaced on the inside. He had straightened hair, but he had freckles and buck teeth. Not the sexiest Stallion of the year material, that's for certain.

Smiling, I put on the charm and replied, "I am looking for a friend of mine, Hearth Fire? Do you know him you big brave Stallion?" I purred, ignoring the drool that was pooling out of his mouth as he stared at me.

Shaking his head the Stallion with red clothes, bell hopper clothes, the Stallion eagerly nodded his head. "Y-Yes madam! He just left with some friends to shop at the Hoofmark's Department store down the street! So, what's your name miss?" He pushed, trying to learn my name was he?

Before I responded, I looked around the fancy place and the splendor that accompanied it. Master said to gain Hearth's trust before I kill him, so why not live closer? "Sweetie Stallion, my name is Angel Joy and I'd like to rent a room next to Hearth's, if you don't mind."

The bell hopper nodded eagerly, moving to a wooden booth to type in commands to a computer. Frowning for a short moment, he clicked a button on the mouse and smiled again. Returning to me with a slip of paper, the bell hopper smiled and gave it to me. "Here you are, Angel. I had to relocate a couple on their honeymoon, but I'm sure they will be fine with it! May I take your luggage, Angel?" He asked with a seductive tone in his voice.

Giggling while putting my hooves to my mouth, I hid the disgusted frown that had come to my mouth. "You strong Stallion! Thank you dearly, I owe you one." I said as I winked at the Stallion who's eyes widened to the sizes of a dinner plate. "But I must be going, I must say hello to Hearth of course!" I said as I waved my hoof at the bell hopper who eagerly waved back before grabbing my bags and galloping towards the elevator to deliver my luggage. Even though an entire cart was filled with other ponies luggage who were giving the Stallion or me evil eyes.

Feeling the cool morning air once more, I sighed as I smiled. "Stallions, almost too easy to wrap around my hoof like a piece of thread." I said to myself as I trotted suspiciously fast towards the gargantuan department store towering over the hotel in comparison with a smile plastered on my face.


End file.
